The Truth Behind Insanity
by TardisInWonderland
Summary: AU reunion of Belle and Rumple/Gold. When the hospital catches on fire, what will happen to the patients, especially those who have nowhere to go? Belle's reasons for being put in a padded cell, plus fluff to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, so this is basically an idea that I had and it wouldn't let me NOT write it. I hope this doesn't turn into another one of my huge projects- I'm imagining 3 chapters right now. This is AU for a reunion between Belle and her Beast, and, well... I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Mr. Gold walked out his front door, leaning heavily on his cane. His knee was having one of its days again- even here that probably meant a storm was coming. A bad one, too, judging by this blasted pain. He would have opted to stay home, except there were things that needed doing, and it wasn't healthy to sit home all day. Heading to Granny's for breakfast, he was just about to reconsider that "staying home" philosophy when Emma Swan nearly barreled into him from around the corner.

"Mr. Gold!" She said, skidding to a halt, eyes wide. She still ran into him, but not half as hard as it could have been if he'd gotten here two seconds sooner.

"In a hurry, Miss Swan?" He asked, recovering. Emma immediately took off again.

"There's a fire at the hospital!" She called over her shoulder. "I've got to go!" Not a second after she hopped in the squad car, the sirens from the fire trucks could be heard. It rolled down the street, driven by none other than the brave little tailor (around the time Emma came he'd changed his occupation), though he went by Timothy here.

Mr. Gold was hobbling in the direction the fire truck had gone. Emma poked her head out the squad car window, not having pulled off yet. As much as she didn't like the man, it was pretty clear he was going somewhere and he was in pain.

"I've got a passenger seat- come on if you're coming!" She called. Gold turned and opened the door with a shrug. There weren't many people in the hospital, thank goodness, but he did want to get a handle on the damage. Emma pulled off with a screech.

"What started the fire?" He asked, gripping the door to keep from being jostled to pieces.

"Don't know yet. They think it was some faulty wiring in the basement, but it's just a guess. That was the second truck- the first is already working."

"And how many people inside?"

Emma shot him a momentary glance, filled with innate terror.

"We don't know."

* * *

The squad car pulled up just as the trucks seemed to have a handle on the blaze. The building wasn't too damaged, it seemed, but it was definitely charred enough to be structurally unsound and need major repair work. Though the hospital was only three floors and a basement, which was the psychiatric ward, it was still a miracle the place was standing because of the sheer age. No, not the 28 years' time had stopped in Storybrooke; Regina had made the blasted building old when they got here. A few of the firemen were still working on the blaze, while timothy barreled out of the emergency exit from the basement, a limp woman in his arms.

"I need some oxygen over here!" He called. Thankfully, the bay housing the EMS trucks hadn't been reached by the blaze, as it was separate from the actual hospital building, and a paramedic was waving from only a few feet away from where he stood. Tim worked his way over quickly and Emma went to ask questions and see how she could help.

"We've got to get this thing out or the whole building's going to come down!" Called the chief. "You go to the east wing, make sure it's out, and we'll finish off the west!" The west wing, still smoldering, was where Timothy had come from when he brought out the girl.

Looking around, it seemed like the whole town was outside pitching in. Some of the stronger men helped with the fire hoses, Regina and Emma were interrogating witnesses, Mary Margaret and David were organizing the fifty or so patients and staff that worked inside with the head nurse's help, trying to figure out who might still be in the building, and even Henry was running around with a few other kids, bringing supplies to the paramedics from the bay on the other side of the building.

But as Timothy came over, something else caught Mr. Gold's attention. He laid the woman on a stretcher as the paramedic put an oxygen mask over her face. Her eyes were closed, but Gold could tell… this wasn't just any woman.

Oh, god, he thought she was dead.

Belle.

Bloody Regina. She knew this was going to happen, and if she didn't… well, she'd crafted their places in this world. She knew where Belle was.

"Tim- who is that?" He immediately asked. The fireman looked up.

"We don't know. A patient from the psychiatric ward; she was locked in, took in a lot of smoke. There are a few burns that need treating, too." He sighed.

"Will she be alright?" Gold asked, never taking his eyes off Belle. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her hand. She was limp and unmoving, except for the almost nonexistent up and down of her chest. Tim bit his lip.

"In other circumstances, I'd say she'd probably be fine…" Gold looked up at this, his expression concerned.

"In other circumstances?"

"Frankly, Mr. Gold, she's a mental patient. We don't know what she was in there for, but if it was anything major she wouldn't only need emotional support, she'd need care physically. And she might fight it once she wakes up. We don't know what effect this will have on her."

"What are these?" asked the paramedic. He gestured to some deep cuts on her legs, and a few bruises. One of the cuts looked infected, and very painful.

"That is very bad news." said Tim.

* * *

The next night there was a called town meeting. For once, Regina and Emma were attempting to work together. Gold was seated near the back of the room, cane in hand.

"We've called this meeting," Regina began, "because of the fire that you are all aware of. While the hospital is prepared, we need everyone from the town to pitch in and help to house these patients."

A murmur went through the crowd. Emma came up to the podium next, standing beside Regina.

"We wouldn't ask you to do this if there was another way, but the hospital is structurally unstable. The Sisters have offered to take in some of the critical patients because they have doctors on staff, but they don't have room for everyone. If some of you could volunteer to house a few of them, just until the hospital is repaired-"

"How long would this be?" Granny called from the middle of the room.

"Only for a few weeks." Regina said. "You don't have to do anything; it's strictly volunteer basis."

After a few moments of discussion, Emma took charge of a laptop, which flashed patient files on an overhead at the front of the room. Most of them were minor ailments, but there were four or five mental patients that were a bit harder to deal with. Archie offered to come check in on them for whoever could take them, but he didn't have room himself. The Sisters offered to put up two in their den, Granny and Ruby offered their loft to one, and David offered his spare room to another. That left only one.

Isabella Rose French. Or at least, that's what the file said her name was.

"What's her condition?" someone asked. Emma scanned over the files.

"We don't know." She said. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'Not exactly?'"

"She means she hasn't been diagnosed." "Her father was the florist, but he went AWOL a few months back. Left town."

_Dammit_, Mr. Gold thought. As much as he didn't want her to go back to her father, there weren't many here who would be willing to take a yet undiagnosed patient.

"I'll take her." Someone said. Nearly against his will, Mr. Gold turned to look. It was that blasted boy Garin, home on college break (as he had been for 28 years). If he had to guess he'd say he was what became of old what's-his-face, that man that Belle had been engaged to. "I knew her father well." He explained, although everyone in the town knew the truth: he was slime. He'd had his eye on Belle since before she was admitted, and it wasn't a secret. Regina was about to say something, but one of the doctors, Dr. Lillian James, jumped up.

"No." she said firmly.

"What?" Garin looked shocked. Apparently the boy was used to getting his way.

"I'm sorry, Garin, but… I'm just not sure you can handle her," Dr. James continued, "Rosie- that's what we called her- was one of our more… difficult patients. We need someone extremely capable to-"

And before he knew what was happening, Mr. Gold was on his feet.

"I'll take her."

The room went quiet.

"Are you sure?" asked the doctor who'd spoken, apparently the only person in the room able to form a coherent sentence.

"You said you needed someone capable. I've got room, and I've got experience tending to injuries." He gestured to his knee. "I saw her after the fire- that girl needs physical treatment, too, and not some, I'm afraid, that can be trusted in the hands of anyone not used to dealing with it."

"I can handle-" Garin began.

"No, you can't, boy. You don't know what you're dealing with."

Regina was staring at him, quite openly, too. No bother, really, but he could practically see the ice in her eyes. Emma simply looked uneasy… but there was no one else. She knew it. They knew it. The doctors knew it. And if Belle didn't get proper care, there was every chance she could die.

The tension seemed to break when Emma nodded.

"I'll meet you all over at the fire station tomorrow to pick up your patients. Two o' clock, please don't be late. Some of the hospital staff will have information for you."

And with that, the meeting was dismissed.

* * *

"Mr. Gold, can I speak with you a moment?" Regina asked on the way out.

"Actually, I'd rather not, Mayor Mills." He said without stopping. She caught up with him easily enough regardless.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed when they were out of an earshot.

"I _think_ I'm trying to save the life of an innocent girl who you, your Majesty, put in a locked padded cell and nearly got killed during that fire."

"_I_ didn't-" she started, but Gold spun on his heel to face her, pointing the end of his cane under her chin in a threatening manner.

"_You know who she is!_" he cried. Only a few heads turned, and those few were wise enough to continue walking. "I am not a person who enjoys being lied to." Regina held his gaze for only a moment, and then backed away and walked towards her house.

Gold straightened his tie and turned, walking back towards his own house. Roughly 17 hours until he would see Belle again.

What on earth was he going to do?

* * *

The man formerly known as Rumplestiltskin walked into the boarding rooms in the Fire department at exactly 2:00PM the next day. There were only a few people milling about, and he looked around to find Belle. His head turned when he heard a voice calling him.

"Mr. Gold!" Dr. James called. She waved from the side of the room, where Belle was sitting on a wooden chair, wrapped in a pale pink blanket over a blue sweater that was much too big for her. She looked nervous and tired, but curious. Dr. James came over before he reached Belle, when they were out of an earshot.

"Listen, you should know, Rosie…" (Mr. Gold fought the urge to scream that her name was Belle) Lillian shook her head. "We're not sure what's wrong with her. It's something in her head. She talks about other places, other people… Be gentle with her." Mr. Gold nodded his consent, but he wasn't thinking of that just now, not entirely. Other people. Other _worlds_. Was it possible… was it truly possible…? But no, it couldn't be. He and Regina were the only ones that remembered… but what better way to sneak in memories than as delusions?

"Lillian, may I ask you something?" he glanced over at the beautiful brunette sitting just behind her, and the doctor nodded. "Why is she so bruised?"

Dr. James' face darkened.

"I'm working on an investigation of the psych ward. Let's leave it at that."

It was probably for the best, really. He didn't expect "murder by cane" was a charge that he wanted to face. For now, he took a few steps towards Belle, slowly.

"This is Mr. Gold." Lillian said, by way of introduction. "You'll be staying with him until you can come back to the hospital. Is that ok?" She asked. Belle looked at him skeptically. In response, he held out the hand not leaning on his cane to her.

"I won't hurt you, love. But you don't have to come if you don't want to." he said, though mentally he cringed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Everyone knew that 'dearie' was a general name for anyone coming from Mr. Gold, but the only thing letting him get away with 'love' was the Scottish accent. Either way, he wasn't about to force her to come with him as he had before… and as he'd forced her to leave.

Belle reached out and placed her hand in his. Not one for conversation, it seemed. Dr. James nodded pleasantly.

"Archie will come over once every couple of days to check on her." she was whisked away before anything else could be said on the matter.

As they walked out to Gold's car, he decided it was probably best to start a conversation. The last thing he needed was her feeling uneasy or suspicious. The poor girl probably half-expected she was going to be _raped_, depending on how far gone she was.

"So, what's your name?" he asked, opening the passenger door for her.

"They call me Rosie at the hospital." She responded automatically, as if she didn't care anymore.

"No. Your real name. Your _given_ name." he walked to the driver's side and closed the door. The car pulled out. Belle glanced over at him, and her expression was unreadable.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"Because I need something to call you that doesn't sound like a toddler." He said flatly, turning a corner.

"Isabella Rose French." she breathed. The words felt good coming off her tongue. Finally to have a real name rather than a six-year-old's playground nickname her father had given her. They treated her like a child, but she was most definitely _not_.

"Well, Isabella Rose French," he began with a slight smile, "may I call you Belle?"

Belle. The word sounded beautiful. It wasn't unfamiliar, it was… something else, something she hadn't felt for a long time. It sounded like home.

"I like that." She said with a smile. Oh, it was like sunshine seeing her smile.

"What did your father call you?" Mr. Gold asked. Belle bit her lip.

"He called me Rosie, too. It was my mom's favorite flower, so I think after she died… I think he always wanted her back, you know? Garin called me that, too. I always hated it." She opened her mouth to say something else, but then stopped. "Sorry. I- I don't know why I'm telling you this…" Why _was_ she telling him this? It had taken weeks for them to even get her to talk to anyone at the psych ward, and yet, around him she felt… calm. Natural. Safe.

"It's perfectly alright." He didn't know what else to say about that, so they were silent for a spell. Mr. Gold's house wasn't far, and now they were turning into the drive. The car stopped soon, and they stepped out in front of Gold's house. The place was large, but not so overly huge as the mayor's manor. Once inside, he led her up the steps and to the left, into a large guest room where she would be staying.

"My room is on the lower floor." Gold said. Belle was surprised- he'd purposefully thought to tell her that. Perhaps his intentions really were well-meant. He walked over and opened a wardrobe beside the bed, inside which were two or three dresses, some shirts, and a few pairs of pants hanging on a rod. "I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of clothing. I wasn't sure what size you were, but I did my best."

It was more than anyone had tried to do in a long time.

"The bathroom is there-" he gestured with his cane, "And if you need anything give a shout."

"Wait!" she called as he was leaving. He turned.

"Yes?"

"Why me?" she asked. "Why did you pick me? There were a lot of easier people to pick."

Gold just stared. His Belle, his beautiful, brilliant Belle who came because she wanted heroism, because she wanted to be brave for her family, and got a broken heart for the bargain.

"Because you have no one, dearie, and I have no one, too."

* * *

Belle showered that night and changed from her ragged blue sweater into a soft nightgown she'd found lying on her bed. It was a bit big, but comfortable nonetheless. The walls of her room were lined with bookshelves, and she skimmed over them with eager fingers. It had been so long since she'd read a book…

But she didn't have the heart to read right now. She wasn't even sure what to think, to be honest, so Belle simply wrapped her old pink blanket around her and stared out the window. Storybrooke wasn't too bright in this part of town, and it was actually possible to see stars. Ursa Major was looming large and familiar in front of her window, in full view. She sighed at the memory of the last time she saw stars…

And then a pain washed over her head, and the world went white.

"_That's the great bear."_

"_Bear? Looks like a shapeless lump to me."_

"_No," she laughed, "Just look. See the paws there, and the saddle on the back?" She turned to see a face both beautiful and frightening gazing back at her._

"_I suppose." he said._

Then the world went white again and she was back at the window. A soft knock came at the door.

"Belle? May I come in?" Mr. Gold asked.

"Yes." She called back softly. The door creaked open.

"Belle! What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." He walked over quickly, a concerned expression on his face. Belle realized for the first time that she was breathing hard. He skimmed over what little skin he could see, checking for bruises and burns that needed tending, but with the state she was in now it could wait until morning.

"I'm- I'm fine." She swallowed. "Just looking at the stars. I can see the great bear from here." He looked out the window where she had indicated.

"I never could see patterns in stars. Looks like a shapeless lump to me, I'm afraid." he admitted, turning to go. Belle froze.

It wasn't possible.

"Did she tell you I'm insane?" she blurted suddenly, but immediately wished she hadn't.

"_What_?" Gold looked extremely confused.

"Dr. James. Did she tell you I'm crazy?" she tried again, but added quickly, "It's alright, you can be honest. It doesn't bother me anymore." He waited a bit before responding, trying to gauge what the best way to put it might be.

"They told me you talk about other people." It was truth enough, and that was really all he'd been given. She nodded, trying to think of what to say next.

"I'm not crazy. I'm really not." she said suddenly. Gold simply raised his eyebrows and waited for her to go on.

"It's like," she began, thinking how to explain it as she went, "It's like these flashes come into my head, and they're like memories, only they're not. And I can only remember them for a second before they're gone." Gold paused for a second, caught off guard.

"Come downstairs." Was his response. "Let's talk about this in a more comfortable setting."


	2. Chapter 2

_Remember what I said about this not turning into a project?_

_..._

_Yeah. Now we're 16 pages in. But on another subject, oh my goodness the reader support! How? How does this happen? I don't think I've ever gotten this much reader support from just the first chapter of a story. Ever. So, thank you all so much! And for those who are going "What the heck is this girl writing? What happened to Sherlock?" I promise that the new chapter is being written, and will be finished as soon as this is posted. Thank you all again!_

* * *

"Tea? And I can get you something to eat if you're hungry." Gold asked, coming back from the kitchen with a pot and two cups. The single chipped cup stood on the nightstand in his room, away from the rest of the set. He had always assumed it had remained intact only because of his agreement with Regina and his emotional attachment to the thing.

"I'm not hungry, but I'll take some tea. Thank you." Belle said, taking a cup with a shaking hand. In doing so her sleeve fell back and a few scrapes became visible, along with some minor burns. She was seated in the chair, and Gold took a seat in the one on the opposite side of the coffee table. He'd thought it was best to move slow… but he was never sure about much when it came to Belle.

"Now, it would seem we have some things to discuss. Would you like for me to ask questions and you to talk, or would you like for me to talk first?" he asked. Belle simply looked down, unsure of what to respond with. Mr. Gold took that as a signal to start talking. He decided to start with what he knew, rather than ask her too many questions- the last thing he wanted was to force this onto her.

"Alright, then. Your burns are going to need treatment. No doubt you've noticed my limp?" Belle didn't move, but he continued. "I'm used to treating injuries. I can treat the more severe ones myself, but if you wish to treat your own in more… delicate… areas, that's perfectly alright." She hesitated a moment before answering. He was trying his very best to give her space, she could tell, and make her comfortable. Belle may have been considered insane, but she wasn't stupid. She was a quick learner, and she was clever, which he seemed to be well-aware of. They had obviously put her with this man so that he could treat her burns. The burs weren't what immediately concerned her, though.

"The burns aren't bad. I've been burned before, but… Can you help me with these?" she asked. She hesitantly leaned over and pulled up the hem of her nightgown, revealing a pale leg marred by the same deep cuts Gold had seen after her rescue from the hospital. He wasn't sure what was getting to him more- the rage, sorrow, or some form of underlying lust.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to her leg. She nodded her consent. He walked over, and though his knee made it near impossible to kneel, he managed to get close enough to see the cuts. They were all in danger of infection, and most of them looked recent- within the past week, he'd say. "Are any of them extremely painful?" he hoped the answer was no, but knew that it wasn't.

"One." She pulled up the hem even further, exposing her thigh and the nasty-looking cut that was most definitely infected. Gold touched it lightly and she cringed. His hand instantly snapped back.

"Belle… I…" he didn't know what to say, but fished for words long enough to come up with something. "You're going to need antibiotics for that. For now…" he paused. "How squeamish are you?" she shrugged.

"Not much."

"And your tolerance to pain is obviously high." He sighed. He really didn't want to do this, but it needed to be done. "You obviously haven't been in a clean environment. It needs to be drained, and that's going to be painful, not to mention a bit messy."

"Tomorrow morning?" she asked. Gold nodded.

"Yes, tomorrow morning." He went back to his previous seat and picked up his tea. Belle lowered the hem of her skirt.

"You're not asking how I got them." It wasn't a question, just a statement. She thought he'd be asking more questions. He looked up from his tea, surprised.

"You didn't do it yourself, did you?"

"No! Of course not." She said it with such conviction that he completely believed her.

"Then I'd best not ask," Gold sat his cup back on the table, "because the bastard that did it might love live long if I do."

Belle looked down, fighting the urge to cry. All her life she'd been loved, but she hadn't been… _loved_. The love she felt was the love of an object from its owner, not the father to a child, or a… a husband to a wife. And now she'd known Mr. Gold all of five hours and he made her feel more at home than she had in a long time.

"You remind me of someone." she couldn't remember who. It must have seemed extremely out of place coming just then.

"Really? Who?"

"I- I don't know. It's like I know you… but I don't know from where."

"Like a dream?"

"Like… like a…" and suddenly she knew where she'd seen him, but she couldn't tell him that. He'd think- and she was just beginning to like him, too…

"It's alright, you know. You can tell me if you want."

"Maybe another time." She said apologetically. He didn't deserve to hear this. "Sometimes- sometimes I think I really am crazy." She admitted.

"Why's that?"

"I… I dream about these things and… I just don't know what's real sometimes." _Tell me about it_, thought Gold.

"What do you dream about?" he asked, simply curious. He looked at her, and she didn't see anything objectionable in those brown eyes. She didn't see Garin's judgmental temperament, or her father's disappointment, or the psychiatrists' expectations that she would same something completely crazy… he just _looked_. And that's when she decided to tell him.

"I see… I see this man who looks like my father, but he isn't my father, he's a mayor somewhere. Sometimes I see a woman with long black hair and blue eyes, and she's kind… but then other times I see a woman who looks like some kind of monster inside. There's a boy made of wood, and there's… a man. He looks different than anyone else, but I don't know why. He's there more than anyone else… and then it goes away and I only remember the stories. The faces aren't there." Belle stopped and looked up. He was simply sitting, taking it all in- calm, rational, not speaking a word before he had the chance to think about it.

What she didn't realize was that Mr. Gold was holding back tears. She _remembered_. Well, a bit. Her punishment in this world would also be her blessing- he would make sure of it.

"Thank you." She said softly, shaking him from his thoughts.

"I haven't done anything, love." He said. _Love_ again. She assumed it must be a Scottish thing…

"Yes, you have. I haven't felt… I haven't felt like a human being for a long time." Belle sat her cup back on the tray, drained to the dregs. "When they treat you like you're insane, you start to feel like you are." Gold reached across the small table and took her hand gently.

"I absolutely believe that you are not crazy, Belle."

The next morning he let her sleep until she came downstairs, finding him reading.

"Ah, good morning, Belle." He said upon hearing her footsteps, even though his back was still turned.

"How did you know I was there?" she asked.

"I live alone. I'm not used to hearing footsteps other than mine." He shut the book and placed it on the side table. "Now, I'm afraid we've got some rather messy business to attend to with that wound of yours. Would you rather do it before or after breakfast?" Belle could feel the throbbing in her leg even now- it was pretty much constant.

"After."

* * *

Dr. James came by to assist in draining the wound. She wasn't even aware of it herself, and was surprised to hear Mr. Gold call. It wasn't generally advised to drain an infection at home, but… well, the hospital wasn't exactly operational. The usual questions: Yes I'm fine, no I'm not running a fever, no I haven't had any dreams (which was a lie), yes I'm tired, yes it hurts.

"I don't want you to do it." Belle said, speaking to Lillian. The doctor looked confused.

"Why not? I know how." She said. In truth, Belle was wary of Dr. James. Though her intentions seemed well-meant, she treated her like a child. She also hadn't been acquainted with her much before the fire.

"You didn't even know it was there."

"You didn't tell me."

"_You_ didn't ask." Belle had called her bluff. The doctors assigned to their care were supposed to check up on the patients and make sure they were safe- no wonder Belle didn't like her. Technically, it was her fault the wound had gotten this bad in the first place.

"I can do it, if you'd prefer." Gold shrugged. "I've done it before, though I do want Dr. James to supervise."

At this Belle consented, simply because she was smart enough to realize that if this wasn't done right the infection would spread. She didn't want Lillian touching her, though- the doctor seemed nice enough, but she was new and didn't have much experience. Right now her position was actually more of a caseworker than a doctor, and Belle just… didn't trust her.

"Alright. This won't be pleasant, I'm afraid."

They sat on the side of the bath, Belle in a blue dress (albeit with the skirt pulled to reveal her wounds), and Gold with his medical supplies and latex gloves. He'd done this to his son several times in the other world, and also to two or three people in this world, though thankfully he was in a t-shirt and not a tux this time. House calls… bad memories. Draining a wound was not pleasant work, though Mr. Gold was dreading doing this more than Belle was having it done. The pain was bad, sure, but the possibility of a severe infection scared her more. At this point it wasn't anything that couldn't be taken care of here, but who knows- another week untreated and it could have been much, much worse.

"Close your eyes." He said. "This will hurt a bit, but try to talk to me, it'll distract you." Belle took a deep breath, just spouting out the first thing that came to her mind.

"You've done this before?"

"I have. Several times- you pick up hobbies when you have nothing to do. Mine was making house calls when they needed me to." Except that was back in another life, before magic came to him. The supplies was much better here, albeit lacking magic. Belle's wound wasn't as bad as some he'd seen, but it could grow worse quickly.

"Eight years in that place and now I get an infection." she mumbled.

"Eight years?" If she remembered it as being eight years… any knowledge outside these walls would be extremely limited. Only what Regina planted there, actually.

"That's what I think it was… Yes, eight years." She hissed in pain, but she could feel the wound draining.

"So where were you before then?"

"I lived at home. I used to go to college before I had a spell in one of the classes." That stuff really stung. She could hardly feel anything now- it was just pain and heat, but she refused to cry. Gold was pressing cleaning cloths on the infected area, having successfully drained it. Yes, antibiotics and bandages would be necessary.

"What kind of spell?"

"Those flashes? I think they thought I was having a seizure or something." She said, her voice shaking only slightly.

"Do you shake?"

"No, I-" she stopped as something cool was pressed to her skin, but it was quickly pulled away.

"Sorry." Gold said.

"No, it felt good." Belle said. The cool substance was returned. "Um, I… I kind of black out? I don't know exactly."

"You can open your eyes now." He said. The infected cut looked almost worse than it had before, but it _felt_ infinitely better. He fished in the basket beside him for clean bandages. "There wasn't much to drain, thank goodness. That should be the only time we have to do it. Would you like to bandage it yourself, or shall I?"

Belle gestured for him to go on with it, and she shifted for better reach. The process wasn't too complicated, but she didn't have any medical experience, and she wasn't about to tell him that the cuts and bruises had come from some phantom interrogator… even though they had.

That was a story for another day. The main idea now was to make herself look as sane as she actually _was_. She'd received the news when her father left town- this was the only home that she seemed to have, even for a little while, and she didn't want to lose it.

"Finished." Gold said with a breath. "I'll show you how to dress it yourself sometimes, if you want." He was surprised she didn't have qualms showing this much skin around a stranger. Then again, she was a hospital patient, and he was sure she'd have to be checked in much more sensitive areas than her legs by people less familiar than he… The thought made him sick to his stomach.

* * *

"Are you sure you feel like doing this?" Gold asked as they walked up to Archie's office. Rather than have Archie come to the house, she'd opted to go out for some reason beyond his conceiving. She was still weak from the fire, he could tell. It wasn't easy taking so many adjustments so soon.

"I'm fine." She said. "What about you and your knee?"

Gold nearly laughed. She'd almost died in a fire the day before and had an infected wound on her hands, caused by who knows what, and she was worried about _him_!

"I'm getting old. I'll be fine." He shrugged. Belle smiled wistfully.

"You're not old."

Before he could respond Archie opened the door with a smile and beckoned Belle inside. Her cane-bearing escort opted to wait outside, as it was fairly nice weather out and he simply didn't want to intrude. Roughly twenty seconds later he wished he'd gone in, though, because who strolled up the street but the dark-headed demon herself…

Regina Mills.

"Mr. Gold!" she waved pleasantly and smiled, but it was all an act, of course. Her eyes were ice. She pulled him around the side of the building, where they wouldn't be seen.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," she said, "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"I don't know what you mean." He straightened his lapels. For now, the strategy was to play dumb. She couldn't do anything, not really.

"Oh, you do." Regina scoffed. "And I _you_ know that _I_ know. I'll give you a hint, Mr. Magic Man: the monster doesn't get a happy ending." She started to walk back towards the main road, but tossed one last phrase over her shoulder. "Besides, don't you think she's a little young for you… _dearie_?"

Last straw. That was the last he would take. Gold caught Regina before she reached the street and flipped her around so her back was to the wall, pushing his cane against her throat as if it were a sword (it very well might have been, the way he brandished that thing).

"You listen to me, Regina." He said, his voice low and threatening. "I'm attempting to be merciful with you, but don't doubt for one second that the only thing keeping you alive is that I might need you for something. But if you _harm_ her, if you _touch_ her, if you even lay a _single_ _finger_ on one hair on her head, I _will_ kill you."

"You think a death threat bothers me?" she managed to choke out, but her eyes spoke what her mouth did not. Fear.

"No, not usually. But we have no magic here, and I should think you'd be far more concerned for what happens to your boy after you're gone than you own life." He paused, giving a mock chuckle. "Oh, and need I mention… if you die, the curse dies with you. All you efforts will have been in vain." The Queen was still held against the wall, the cane leaving bruises against her shoulders.

"It won't." she said, confident. "You told me it won't."

"I told you it _might_ not. And might is plenty powerful for a situation like yours, isn't it?" the cane was slowly moved away from her windpipe. Regina looked as if she was about to punch him. That was expected- he had called her bluff, though he hadn't even gotten to the biggest part yet.

"Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn't hit an old man, now would you? And of course, you remember our deal. Whenever I say-"

Regina, tears of rage burning against her eyes, ran from the alley. For once in this world, something was out of her power.

"Please." He chuckled, giving his cane a twirl. Perhaps the stupid thing wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

"Now, Rosie, how are you doing today?" Archie asked. She knew him from quarterly visits at the hospital, but he was simply assigned to take a sound professional look at the mental patients, not to be their full-time doctor. Belle cringed at the name.

"Archie?" she began (he preferred they call him by his first name). He looked up, eyebrows raised. "Could you call me Belle?" Archie shrugged, looking a little surprised.

"I don't see why not. Why the change?"

"I just-" Belle took a breath, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "I'm too old for Rosie, and I hate that name anyways. My dad's called me that since I was a little girl."

"Ok." He smiled reassuringly, but Archie did that a lot. "So, are you alright with where you're staying?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Gold-"

"He's fine. He's nice. No, he's not doing anything to me. Don't ask." She said, catching him off guard yet again. She liked to do that during her sessions. Archie was pretty much of the opinion that she was perfectly fine. If he hadn't seen one of her spells himself he would probably be fighting to get her out of the hospital, but because of her blackouts and her strange stories, they wanted to keep her in.

"Alright, then. That's good. Had any more visions?" Archie asked. He didn't like calling them dreams- for one thing, she wasn't asleep, and for another, they didn't sound like dreams to him when she described them They sounded like memories. "Visions" was a nice, neutral term.

"No." she said, as usual.

"Is that a lie?"

"Yes." Also as usual.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Belle thought of the stars last night, and tried to remember the face of the man sitting next to her. More than anything, she thought of Mr. Gold, and his response to the constellation, matching word for word: a shapeless lump. Sometimes she told Archie bits and pieces of what she saw, but usually neither one of them could make any sense out of it.

"No. Not today." They sat in silence for a few minutes, Srchie taking notes on his pad.

"Ro- Belle." Archie corrected himself. "May I be honest with you?"

"Yes…" Belle said, wondering where this was going.

"If I didn't know about your blackout spells, I'd think you were perfectly fine."

"Really?" she was paying attention now.

"Really." He flopped his notepad down with a sigh. "You're not delusional, you're not violent, you're not harmful to yourself or others… If we can find a way to control those things I think you could probably go home."

* * *

Mr. Gold was still standing in front of Archie's office, waiting on Belle, when Henry walked by on his way home from school. Upon seeing him, an idea began to form in Gold's head… an idea about how to get through to Belle.

"Henry, my boy." He greeted him. Henry looked hesitant.

"Hi, Mr. Gold." He seemed like he didn't know what to say. True, not many people in town carried on long conversations with the pawnbroker. He was a bit scary to most of them.

"Henry, I was wondering," Gold began, "Might I borrow your book for a few days?"

"Why?" asked Henry. The boy was protective of that book and suspicious of the man asking him. He didn't blame him one bit.

"I have a friend who I think might benefit from reading it." Henry seemed to think for a minute.

"Can I meet him first?" he asked. Well, that was a fair enough trade, he supposed. He'd rather not, but if Belle agreed to it there couldn't be any harm.

"Her. And yes, you may, if she agrees to it. If you'd like to stop by on your way home from school-"

"Ok!" Henry said quickly. "Gotta go- by Mr. Gold!" For a second he wondered why the boy had run off so quickly, but then he heard Emma's car coming around the corner. That yellow bug had a sound like no other vehicle he'd ever heard, and not in a good way. Henry jumped in the car just as Belle and Archie came out the door.

* * *

Belle walked up the steps to her room later that day, ready to change the dressing on her bandage. Mr. Gold had showed her how, so it shouldn't be an issue. Besides, he'd fallen asleep reading again and she really didn't want to disturb him.

She was really beginning to like that man. Granted, she hadn't actually been around other people in a long time, but he was the first to treat her like a true human being, not like a freak who sees things that aren't there. What she didn't understand, though, was why he was so cold towards everyone else. He seemed to have a genuinely good heart hidden somewhere… why show it to her, the deranged hospital girl who he'd only agreed to house for a few weeks?

About halfway up the steps the white light overtook her again, and she lost control of herself.

"_Your master or your lover?" A pause here. "Ah, both, it would seem." She didn't have time to think before she discovered she herself was talking. It was her own voice._

"… _I could love him, except… something dark has taken root in him." That was her voice. Her own voice. The first person who spoke responded to her._

"_True love's kiss can break any curse." It was blurry, so blurry, but the voice was clear. From what she could see it was the woman again- the bad one. The one that scared her._

"Belle!" The noise was only faint, accompanied by clattering, and she felt a pressure on her arms, as if someone was holding her up. Somewhere in her subconscious it registered that she must have fallen down the stairs. "Belle, can you hear me?" Mr. Gold's face swam before her for only a fraction of a second before she was gone again.

"_Who told you that? Who knows that?" And her perception shifted as she fell to the floor. She became dizzier, trying to take in the scenery from where her alter ego had been shoved. Belle was a prisoner, looking out from her own mind. It looked almost like a palace… with a spinning wheel._

"_But that means it's true love!" She called. The man above her leaned down, yelling in her face. The same man she'd seen before, when she was looking at the stars._

"_SHUT UP! Shut the hell up, because NO ONE could ever love me!" The words were like a pang in her very soul- she didn't know why. The man wasn't even familiar, and yet… she felt something almost like…_

The world came back, and the dizziness subsided. She found herself on her knees, on the steps, in the arms of Mr. Gold. He held her like he would hold a frightened child, but this treatment wasn't demeaning, as some of the treatment by the doctors in the psych ward seemed. It was comforting. One of arms was wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his chest, while the other hand rested in her hair, and her head was against his shoulder.

Why didn't it feel too close?

Why didn't it feel too fast?

Belle had always been independent. She wasn't one for close romantic relationships, and she wasn't one to trust people so quickly, but the way he acted around her… the way he _felt_ around her… it was so different.

It took her a few seconds to realize that her face was wet, and she was breathing hard.

"Are you with me?" he asked softly. Belle took a ragged breath and nodded, still resting against his shoulder.

"Good." He sounded relieved. "Are you alright? I heard you fall."

"I'll be fine." She said, but Gold knew she wasn't. That was just Belle- always brave, always trying to make herself seem ok because that was what was best for others. He knew that even if she had a broken bone she would probably say that she'd be fine.

"I have a friend coming over tomorrow who wants to meet you." He said slowly. "I think he might be able to clear up some things, if you agree to see him."

"I don't know…" Belle said. She was wary of people trying to help. She knew Gold probably had good intentions, but… this just wasn't the way. And she'd actually believed he thought she was sane! Oh well. This was another mark on the chalkboard for friends she nearly had.

"He's ten." Gold looked down at her, expression unreadable. Only one coherent thought was forming in her mind.

_What?_


	3. Chapter 3

_First off, I apologize for the embarrassing amount of typos in the last chapter. They have been corrected, and I have read over this chapter twice._

_Second, thank you again for reviews and reader support! I really appreciate it._

* * *

As it worked out, it would be about another week until Henry could come by, what with sneaking away from Regina. Belle's infection was healing well, albeit slowly, and her burns were on the same path, though she still didn't like to talk about how she'd gotten the former.

"How's that infection looking, love?" Gold asked one morning a few days later. She didn't mind him looking at it himself, though he seemed to feel it was an invasion of her privacy. A bit old-fashioned, she supposed, but sweet.

"Better. It still hurts sometimes, but it's much better than before."

"Are you still guarding the secret of where those cuts came from?" His rage towards whomever or _what_ever had done this to Belle had slowly overcome the feeling that he didn't exactly want to kill anyone. He'd been asking for a couple of days now. Belle sighed.

"Fine, but… you won't believe me." She said, giving up. Secretly, Mr. Gold deeply doubted that statement. "There was… A little over a week before the fire, someone came into the psych ward. I don't know who it was; they were wearing a mask."

"They did that to you?" Almost inadvertently, he reached out and placed his hand on her knee. Then he realized his action, cleared his throat, and pulled away. Belle didn't understand why he was so hesitant sometimes- she didn't mind his touch. It was gentle, caring. He never even came close to invading her privacy, especially by her previous standards… but she continued talking here.

"I don't know. He started asking me questions I didn't know the answers to, and then he yelled at me and said that I was lying. He said all the notes on my sheets indicated I knew, but I guess he didn't realize I can hardly remember anything after I snap out of it." She pushed a piece of hair out of her face. "And then there was some kind of chemical in my face, and when I woke up…" she shrugged. The entire incident had become extremely calloused over. None of the doctors had believed her story, except for Archie, who was smart enough to go back and check security tapes. Guess what? There was a masked man on them.

The less severe cuts were nearly healed over, and even her infection had formed a healthy-looking scab, though she still tended to wear tall boots or long socks when she went out in order to cover them. Her torso was mostly free from injuries, minus some minor bruising, but her arms had several shallow cuts as well.

"I'm sorry." Mr. Gold said. "You shouldn't have had to go through that." She had already been through far too much for his liking- he swore, if he ever got the chance he would make Regina suffer.

"It's alright-"

"It's _not_."

"I can manage. I'll pull through. I'm stronger than a lot of people- I just hope that nobody else got that treatment." She shook her head, a look of fear flashing on her face for only a second. Belle seemed to catch herself, and smiled up at him. "Besides, they haven't got someone like you to help them."

Beautiful, brave, selfless Belle. She didn't care that she'd nearly died in a fire or of an infection; no, she just hoped nobody else had to go through it. And what made it all worse was that she should never have had to go through it herself…

It was all his fault.

* * *

Mr. Gold spent the time waiting on Henry trying to think of how best to prepare Belle for what she would see. If he was right, and he desperately hoped that he was, then the visions that she saw were flashes of her life in the other world. However, she refused to tell him what she'd seen on the stairs, and every time he looked at her for more than a few seconds she seemed to be scrutinizing him. It was like she was searching his face for something… but what?

He saw her sometimes when she thought he wasn't looking. She looked… well, to be honest, she looked half afraid of him. The other half of the time he had to stop himself before he could make a judgment, because he didn't want to go looking for an emotion that would probably never be present in her eyes again.

Belle, on the other hand, was praying that it was there. She was praying that he was right and that she wasn't crazy, but she wasn't sure how this little boy- Henry- could help. The flashbacks or visions or whatever they actually were became more and more frequent. She was starting to think… possibly… could it be _him_? The man with the gray face she kept seeing. But it was impossible- she'd never seen Mr. Gold in her life before the fire, she was certain.

The only problem with that conclusion, though, was that these visions seemed more and more real as the days went by, and they dictated that she _had_.

One afternoon she decided to go for a walk, just on a whim. Mr. Gold realized that she probably needed the time alone, and he gave it to her without much fuss, besides a simple "be careful."

She walked into town, around the streets, not going anywhere in particular. Finally she reached the park, and stopped on a bench in front of the children's playground, her favorite blue dress settling comfortably around her legs. The linen dress fell to her knees and had a wide but modest neckline, and three-quarters-length sleeves that hid the scars on her arms well. The kids didn't seem to mind her presence, but one of them stopped for a minute and stared. It took her a second to notice this, actually, but when she did he waved. She smiled and waved back hesitantly, and the little boy ran over, backpack swinging.

"Hi." He said. He looked at her with awe. "My name's Henry." He held out his hand and Belle shook it. Henry hopped on the bench beside her like they were old friends. This must have been the Henry that Mr. Gold wanted her to meet.

"Nice to meet you, Henry. I'm-"

"Belle. You _are_ Belle, right?" he asked hopefully. She was surprised, but tried not to show it too much.

"How did you know?" The boy smiled and began fishing around in his backpack.

"Were you in the hospital before the fire?" He was still fishing around.

"Yes, I was." She said softly. The thought of going back wasn't one she liked to dwell on.

"Don't tell _them_ that." Henry gestured to the other kids. "They'll be scared of you." He pulled out something that looked like a gigantic book.

"Why?"

"They'll think you're crazy." He shrugged. "I think they've just seen too many scary movies." Belle laughed. She loved kids- they were so honest, not worried about what you thought of them and not afraid to tell what they think of you.

"Well, between you and me, a lot of people think that." She smiled sadly. Henry's eyes grew wide.

"Really?" Belle nodded. Henry had looked like he was about to open the book a minute ago, but now he just sat there. After a second or two he spoke again, quietly. "People think I'm crazy, too. Only I'm a kid, so nobody actually takes it seriously." He looked up at Belle, a strange expression on his face. "Why do people think you're crazy?" Belle bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to explain it to this boy without scaring him.

"It's… complicated." She settled on that for now. Perhaps later a better explanation would come. He nodded, understanding well enough.

"People think I'm crazy because-" he motioned for Belle to lean in closer, whispering to her. "Everybody in this town is someone in this book. The evil queen put a curse on everybody so there wouldn't be any happy endings... but nobody believes me." He sighed and pulled back, searching her eyes. She didn't seem to have any rejection or acceptance, just listening. That was good, in a way.

"I doubt I'm in that book, Henry." Belle said with a sad smile. Henry jumped to it, flipping through pages and looking for pictures.

"Well, not everybody has a lot of mentions, like the minor dwarves and some of the fairies, but you do!" he was looking frantically for the right story- the bad thing about this book was that it didn't have a table of contents. The newer copy of the book had other stories in it, too, which didn't help in finding what he wanted. "Here!" Henry pointed to a picture on one of the pages. It showed a brunette woman in a yellow dress being escorted by… oh, no.

The world went white.

"_You see, I- uh- make gold." The little man was pacing around the room nimbly. She could feel a fabric like silk rustling around her legs. Her shoulders were bare, and the room felt cold._

"_Then what do you want?" _

"_I want her."_

The world came back.

"Belle? Belle!" Henry was holding her hand, not shaking her, just sitting there waiting for her to come back.

"Are you ok?" Henry asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yes. I'm- I'm fine…" Belle shook her head, glad she hadn't fallen this time. The last major incident had cost her a nasty bruise on her left hip.

"What happened?" A completely innocent question. Most of the kids had left the playground by now, been picked up by their parents.

"Henry…" Belle began, "I think you should probably know why people say I'm crazy."

* * *

They spent the next hour talking, alternately explaining their situations and asking questions of each other. Henry didn't ask much about how her life was now; he mostly wanted to know what she remembered from before they put her in the hospital. Every now and then he would smile, but every time he flipped to a new page of the book, something would trigger a small white-out. They would only last a few seconds, and they weren't actually painful, but Henry stopped flipping pages after about three.

"You're not crazy!" he finally said. "You're _remembering_!" Belle wanted to believe it. She did, she really did.

"Henry, I want to believe you, I really do, but… I don't know if I can." She said. Henry bit his lip, nodding.

"That's ok." He said. "At least you want to believe. That's more than most people."

"I'm sorry Henry. I just… I need to stop having these flashes, not have _more_ of them." Henry thought about it for a minute.

"Have you ever read about amnesiacs?" he asked.

"No."

"Well, sometimes they get these flashbacks when they see things that help them remember. Their flashbacks only stop after they get their memories back in one big bunch- or that's the way they do in all the spy books. So, maybe if you really are remembering-"

"Wait. Let me get this straight." Belle said. "You're saying that if this thing really is true, and your adoptive mother put a curse on the town, then I can stop having these things if I can remember life before it?" Henry shrugged. Belle tried not to think about how crazy this sounded- even by her standards.

"But does anyone even remember?" she asked. "How do you know?"

"My mom does. Not Emma, the evil one. She… she does, I'm sure of it."

They sat in silence a few minutes, and he picked up the book, starting to put it in his backpack. He stopped, though, thinking better of it, and put the book in Belle's lap instead.

"You need to read your story." He said. "Please." What harm could it do? If she didn't she would just be put back into the hospital, and if she did… well, that might happen anyways.

"Ok." She patted the cover gingerly.

"Wait. Was your name always Belle?" he asked, suddenly confused.

"No… they used to call me Rosie." She cringed slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"Everybody has a different name here, but you don't." he looked at her strangely. "Why do you go by Belle now?"

"My name is Isabella Rose. When Mr. Gold took me in after the fire he asked if he could call me Belle, and… I liked it." All the while she was talking Henry's eyes grew bigger, and he smiled.

"Mr. _Gold_?" he suddenly jumped off the bench. "Every time we mention your story you get these things, right?" she nodded, knowing he meant the visions. "Have they been getting worse while you're around him?"

Actually… yes. The flashes usually only lasted a few seconds, and they were blurry or extremely short. Not to mention extremely infrequent. When she was around Mr. Gold they were longer and clearer, especially the sounds. She nodded slowly, scared of what this might entail.

"Have you _seen_ him? Have you seen him in your flashbacks?" Henry looked like a scientist on the verge of a great discovery. Who knows, he might have been.

Belle though back- should she tell him? Should she tell him that even though he looked different and walked with a cane, Mr. Gold reminded her so much of the man in her visions? Should she tell him that she knew not because of the resemblance in physical features, but because of the way he cared for her, and the way she _felt_ near him?

"Yes." She said. "I think so."

Henry gave a cheer, punching the air.

"I've got to go! This is a big development for Operation Cobra!" he picked up his bag. "I know who Mr. Gold is now. I don't know why I didn't think of it before- bye, Belle!" He started to run down the street.

"Wait- who is he?" Belle called after him.

"Rumplestiltskin!"

* * *

On the way back to Mr. Gold's place, Belle went by Granny's if for nothing more than a conversation and a cup of hot tea. She carried the fairy tale book under her arm, but upon walking in almost wished she hadn't come.

"Rosie!" Garin waved from the side of the room. Belle smiled politely and went up to sit at the counter. Ruby walked over to say hello and take her order. Over the past couple of days she'd seen her around, and they'd started talking. Ruby was nice, if extremely outgoing.

"Don't look now- something wicked this way comes." She muttered. About a second later she felt Garin sit down beside her.

"What, you aren't even happy to see me?" He asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. She gently shrugged it off. Eight years with no calls and no visits, and he just thought she would run back to him because he was Garin and they'd dated for two months. Two months, and that only because her father adored the guy.

"It's been a long time." She said, but the words were emotionless.

"Yeah, it has. I was thinking that we might be able to get together sometime… You know, catch up." Belle had to fight back a scoff. "Catching up" was definitely _not_ what he had in mind. It never was. Garin always had this amazing talent for making any semi-romantic situation turn sleazy within two seconds of being left alone.

He sighed, apparently thinking she was annoyed with him for some other reason.

"Look, sorry you got stuck with Mr. Scrooge. I tried-"

"Excuse me?" Belle turned on her stool, interrupting him. He looked confused.

"Yeah. I tried to see if they would let you stay with me, but-"

"Mr. Gold has been extremely kind to me! And he's done much more than you _ever_ could have or would have even _tried_ to!"

Belle didn't bother to wait on her drink before she left.

Walking down the street on the way home, she realized with a start that Garin was the only person she'd ever had a relationship with. Why? He'd gotten in good with her father, that's why. If daddy didn't approve of whoever she was dating, she couldn't date him. Period. And he _never_ approved.

But what Garin felt towards her wasn't love, or really even romantic affection, it was raw, primal lust. The man couldn't hold a girl for more than a week before coming disinterested, two if she didn't have sex with him before then. Belle hadn't given in, and he'd stayed with her for longer than anyone. There was one point when she even thought he might have loved her,

Love wasn't anything she'd ever gone looking for, but it was something she'd always dreamed of. At one time she'd been under the illusion that her relationship with Garin was love. To those on the outside it may have looked loving, but it simply wasn't _real_. When he touched her it felt forced and possessive, like he was squeezing the emotion out of her, whereas when Mr. Gold touched her… it felt like… nothing she'd ever felt. He was gentle and respectful, while Garin was coarse and even a bit uncomfortable to be around sometimes. Gold wasn't exactly the type of person she was used to being with, and perhaps that was a good thing.

It was somewhere between Granny's and the place inside her mind that she realized that she just might be falling in love with Mr. Gold.

* * *

Henry hadn't actually run home. His mom was coming home late today- he knew she would. He ran straight towards Mr. Gold's house, picking up a lift from August on the way. Thankfully, Emma _didn't_ see him on the back of a motorcycle, as several people probably would have been thrown in a cell that night.

He was right to suspect that Belle would be walking slowly, and August was waiting to drop him off by his house. The writer seemed to be the only man in the whole town who actually believed what Henry said. Well, sometimes Mr. Gold looked like he might, but Henry didn't entirely trust him. He needed to help Belle, though, and if Mr. Gold really _was_ Rumplestiltskin, he was the only person who could help him do it.

"Mr. Gold! Open up- please!" he heard footsteps inside, headed for the door.

"Hold on, boy!" Gold called, his accent pronounced. The door unlatched and Gold stepped out, an expectant expression on his face.

"You have to help Belle!" He blurted out.

"What?" Mr. Gold looked extremely confused. "How did you-"

"She's the friend you wanted me to talk to, isn't she?" Henry was getting louder with every sentence. Gold glanced around, seeing August waiting in the drive.

"Come inside." He said. After shutting the door, Henry continued spouting out things.

"You remember, don't you? That's why you wanted the book, to help her remember, too!" Henry was practically jumping up and down as he spoke. Gold sank down in a chair with a sigh, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Yes, Belle is the friend I wanted you to meet- I thought you might be able to help her. Where did you see her?"

"At the park. But I can't help her!" he said.

"Why not?" Gold asked, his voice rising as well, but more in desperation than anger. "You're the one who knows about that world! If I do it it'll only scare her- I cast her away, I _threw her out_ when she did _nothing_ to deserve it! I won't push her away from me again by forcing something on her that she'll _never_ believe!"

It only took him a moment to realize what he'd given away. Henry wasn't sure whether to smile or yell at him, so he simply stood, jaw dropped.

"You do remember."

"Yes." Gold admitted. "I do. But I can't help her; I'm a walking curse, I won't put her through that again!"

"You have to! It won't work without you!"

"Why not?" Gold stood, furious. Henry was a boy, but he was braver than half the town when it came to this curse.

"Because _you're_ her true love! It has to be you and you know it!" Henry yelled as loud as he could, drawing himself up to his full height. It wasn't much compared to Gold's tall figure, but he knew it would be enough. It was a valid point, after all. The older man backed down, turning his back to Henry without a word.

"She deserves better than me." Gold finally muttered, his back still turned,

"She needs you." Henry said. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

Gold remained silent. Of course it meant something- it meant the world- but he couldn't damage her more in trying to help her. That was his biggest fear. But it seemed now that he had gone too deep to come back.

"Don't you love her?" At this he finally turned back to the boy, the look of a worn, wizened man on his face.

"With all my heart."


	4. Chapter 4

_Ok, so... I wrote quite a bit of fic this weekend because we were camping and we got lost on the way. So here's another chapter- I hope you like it and thank you all for reading! These chapters are a bit longer than usual, so... you're great. Yeah._

* * *

Belle walked in that afternoon carrying the book. As much as she wanted to read it, she didn't want to have any more of those flashes. It wasn't entirely that she minded, it was just… well, she did mind, but more from the standpoint that if they didn't stop she'd probably have to stay in that padded cell forever.

She snuck inside, past wherever Mr. Gold was working, and went up to her bedroom. If she was going to have more of those things, she didn't need to be somewhere that she might hurt herself if she went limp or couldn't see, so reading in bed seemed the safest decision.

Henry had bookmarked the page for her (he had told her much of the information, except for her own story of course. He thought she might want to read it for herself). As she opened the book to it, she didn't feel dizzy. There was the same picture, and true, it did vaguely resemble her, but she didn't remember anything this time. Perhaps her mind had already released whatever memories that image held. She turned the page, and then suddenly she wasn't in her room anymore.

"_Belle, you've been engaged."_

"_Engaged?" she nearly turned her chair over getting up._

"_To a nice young man. His family is powerful- it's a good match." Some bell rang that the large man speaking must be her father._

_She didn't want to be married- especially not to the man she knew her father was referring to. Belle would, though, if only to be a good daughter, and he knew it. Sometimes she felt like a puppet._

The memory faded into something new.

"_Why did you come?"_

"_I don't know… heroism? I always wanted an adventure."_

_The same man smiled at her from across the table._

_Who was he?_

The scene switched.

"_Rumplestiltskin!" Someone called. "Open the door!"_

_Belle rushed to the entrance of a grand hall, now in a blue dress that nearly reached the floor. She almost tripped while trying to open the door._

"_Who are you?" the man asked. He wore a crown- the king of some distant realm, she presumed. Rather than respond, she gave the same message she'd been giving._

"_Rumplestiltskin isn't in. He's away on business." She smiled sheepishly._

This scene melted away, too.

"_Who are you talking to?" she was on the floor again, like she had been before._

"_The queen! You're working for the queen."_

After this picture, things all went too fast for her to keep track of. Mostly sounds, flashing faces.

"_True love's kiss can break any curse."_

"_I like to watch the wheel. It helps me forget."_

"_NO ONE can ever love me!"_

"_All you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."_

As she came to, pieces started to seep together. Her flashes matched the writing in the book, even though there were a few things left out of the story here and there. Mr. Gold… Henry said he was Rumplestiltskin. The storybook said Rumplestiltskin was… her heart sped up.

She couldn't remember everything, but the things she knew well were becoming clearer, and it seemed more and more as if Henry wasn't crazy: he was right. Thoughts still spinning, Belle slept.

* * *

Several hours later, Belle walked downstairs, Henry's fairy tale book in hand. Mr. Gold was just coming back from the shop (he'd left not long after she came back), and he stopped cold when he saw what she was carrying.

"Where-" his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Henry gave it to me." She said frankly, hoping she wouldn't have to elaborate. "He's the one you wanted me to talk to, isn't it?"

"Belle, I-" Gold stopped, taking a breath. "Yes, he was."

The two of them stared at each other, neither wanting to take the leap and ask the question. Belle finally decided that it didn't matter anymore- if this wasn't true then something was wrong with her, because right now the only thing that made sense were the feelings that went with what Henry had told her.

"Do you believe him?"

Gold stared for a minute, a blank expression on his face, and backed away. He didn't say a word, he just walked off. It took her a moment to register, but she was after him quickly.

"No- you come back here!" she said, chasing him. "Tell me-" he spun on his heel.

"Tell you what? What do you want to know, Belle?" he asked. In his mind a hundred questions followed: _Tell you you're a character in a fairy tale book? Tell you I love you? Tell you I can't stand to be without you?_

_Tell me it's true_, she thought. _Tell me I'm supposed to be here, tell me why you call everyone else "dearie" and me "love," tell me you are who Henry says you are, tell me I'm supposed to be falling in love with you!_

"The truth." She said, looking him in the eye. He backed away, walked over to the small couch, and sat, placing his head in his hands.

"I'm afraid that the truth is far more complicated than it should be."

He couldn't force this on her. He couldn't force _himself_ on her- oh, why did he ever get into this in the first place? In this world, devoid of magic, how was he ever to tell her of the most powerful magic of all?

She walked over slowly, taking a seat beside him, unsure whether to be angry, or sad, or something else entirely. He looked like a very old man in that moment, weighted down with years he didn't possess. To Belle he had never looked old, only lame, and she hardly cared about that.

There was something good somewhere inside him, she was sure of it. It was simply masked by an incomparably dark shell on the outside. She didn't realize what he hands were doing until he looked up at her.

"Belle, what-" She stopped his mouth with a kiss before he could continue.

He didn't think too hard about what was coming after that. Belle's hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers running through his hair. Gold drew her in close, deepening the kiss.

And then the memory came, just in flashes. In seconds. In moments. The memory of another kiss, one that happened a lifetime ago.

"_And since then you've loved no one… and no one has loved you?" _

Only this time it wasn't just Belle. Gold saw it, too.

He pulled away from her quickly, breaking the kiss. It couldn't happen like this, not again. No more painful memories.

"Did you see that?" she asked, looking in his eyes. It was a good thing he was used to lying.

"No."

* * *

Things hadn't exactly gone back to normal after that. Of course, they played at everything being normal, but some unspoken line had been crossed, and they both knew it. They didn't discuss that particular… incident… at all, but tried to act as if it didn't happen.

Obviously, that wasn't working too well for them.

Belle was becoming more and more convinced that Henry was right, and desperately trying to think of a way to hide it from Archie the next time she saw him. That would land her back in that place for sure. However, the next visit to Archie was fairly uneventful.

"Hello, Belle!"

"Hello." She smiled sadly. Belle never _smiled_ at her sessions, sadly or otherwise, unless something was up. It had taken weeks for him to even get her to talk much, but he'd picked up on that right away… Archie was immediately on the lookout.

"How are things?"

"They're…" she paused, fumbling for the right word, "Different. They're different." She seemed to settle on that as the most adept term to describe everything, though it was certainly an understatement. Belle had more color, seemed healthier, her cuts and bruises (which she refused to tell him about even when she was still in the hospital) were on the mend, and now… smiling.

"I see. And how are the visions?"

"Still there. Not as bad, though." It was only half a lie. The only reason they weren't as bad was because they weren't as _troubling_.

"That's good." Archie made a few notes on his pad. Mostly these visits were just formalities, required by the hospital, but occasionally there were a few things he wanted to ask her. "How are you feeling about Mr. Gold?" Belle looked up. He asked her this every time, and she knew he meant as someone providing her shelter while the hospital was repaired, but… The look in her eyes had changed. Archie had seen it- they were softer, more… something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Fine." That was just the standard answer.

"Any problems?"

"No."

Archie couldn't think of anything else to ask her, and considering that she didn't want to discuss what she saw, then he let her go. She didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable walking outside to Mr. Gold, and would occasionally even offer her arm when they walked long distances. He couldn't explain exactly when it clicked, but Archie realized something the second he saw the two of them together. It was something about the way she looked at him, and about the way every time he touched her he looked as if he was afraid she might push him away. She was welcoming him in… but why was he fighting it?

"Mr. Gold," he said, "I forgot- I have some paperwork for you, if you wouldn't mind coming inside." The man shrugged and followed him inside, asking Belle if she would mind waiting. She shook her head. Once they were inside and the door was closed, Archie sat at his desk.

"You had paperwork for me?" Gold asked, but Archie shook his head.

"Actually, I don't. I needed to talk to you alone, though."

"Why?" Mr. Gold wasn't fond of being tricked into conversations, though he himself was very fond of the topic.

"It's about Belle."

"Is something wrong?" Gold asked, his face shifting to one of extreme concern.

"No, no. It's just… I think…" Archie wasn't sure how to put this gently. "How have things been? Between the two of you?"

"Fine, as far as I know."

"Have you gotten to know her? She's a bit of a tough nut to crack."

"I have. She hasn't told me everything, but it isn't my right to ask." Gold's expression shifted. Archie knew he would have to work quickly- his guard was coming up.

"I think… Frankly, Mr. Gold, I think Belle might be falling in love with you."

The look on the older man's face changed again. He leaned on his cane a moment, and then sat. The room was dimly lit, and his face wasn't visible.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Mr. Gold sat in silence for a few moments. Archie didn't know what to say to him- he saw his back shaking, and realized that he was crying. Nobody in the town had ever seen Mr. Gold cry. He was the biggest, scariest official, and he didn't back down from anyone… except this poor, beautiful, sane-but-not-sane hospital girl.

"Mr. Gold?" Honestly, he didn't think it was that bad. There were worse things than to be loved.

"I love her, too." He whispered. It was barely audible. "More than anything."

It took Archie a moment to register everything that was going on. Obviously, this wasn't the original plan (whatever that might have been). It even seemed like Gold had been trying to protect Belle from something… but from what? Himself? Was he convinced that if Belle grew to love him it would be the worst thing for her? He was older than her, that was true, but love was exactly what she needed now- a home, stability, _hope _for something better. Without it she might be stuck in that padded cell for the rest of her life.

"Then I think you should tell her," Archie said, "before you lose her forever."

* * *

Belle sat on the bench outside Archie's offices, pulling Henry's book from her messenger bag. It didn't bother her much to read it anymore. She assumed most of the memories that thing needed to jar had surfaced by now, but it was still enjoyable to read. She knew some of the classic stories- Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast, the one that she was supposed to be a character in, were the familiar ones. Only in this book, none of the endings were the same. Not quite.

In her story, Belle left the beast. She didn't break the curse like the story often said, Snow White actually had some life skills about her, and Red Riding Hood _was_ the wolf. Also, everyone seemed to have some kind of interaction with Rumplestiltskin, a story she previously thought was insignificant and actually rather annoying.

"Well, well, look who it is!" Garin came from around the corner, smiling. Belle fought back the urge to walk away right then.

"Garin, please-"

"No, no. Let me- I'm sorry I insulted your friend, but I think it's time we started talking again. You know, maybe… start things back up."

"No." she said frankly. "I haven't even been technically released from the hospital yet. In a few weeks I'll be back. _Nothing_ is going to change between us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he seemed positively offended. Belle scoffed.

"It means I don't need you anymore!" she said, standing. "I'm getting better; I don't need you interfering with it!" Garin grabbed her chin with one hand and her arm with the other, forcing her to look up into his face.

"You need someone. You're alone- you want someone to love you. I can see it in your eyes, and if not me, who else do you _have_ in this godforsaken town?"

"You never loved me." Belle spat back, holding her ground. "I'm the one with delusions, and I never for _one_ _second_ entertained that one."

"I-"

That was about the point when a cane came crashing against his back.

Garin stumbled forward, losing his grip on Belle and landing on his knees on the pavement. The blow would have been painful, but ultimately superficial, leaving nothing but a few bruises to his skin and his pride.

"Does that answer your question, boy?" Gold sneered. "Now be off with you, before Sheriff Swan comes and arrests you for harassment!" Garin looked stunned. He opened his mouth to snap some sort of retort, but Gold waved his cane and shooed him before he could.

"I said go! I wasn't lying when I said we called the sheriff. If you hurry-" but he stopped when Emma's squad car rounded the corner.

"Oh. Never mind." Gold shrugged. Garin, filled with pure anger, threw a punch that knocked the wind out of Mr. Gold and took off down the street, muttering threats and curses under his breath. Blast it, if he could turn that boy into a rose in this world, too, he would most certainly do it! When Emma stepped out of her car he almost had his breath back.

"What just happened?" she asked, a worried expression on her face. "I roll up and someone's throwing punches?" Mr. Gold was leaning on the arm of a very worried Belle.

"It's-" Gold stopped, taking a deep breath, "It's a bit of a long story, Miss Swan. How about we clear it up later, after I can breathe again?"

* * *

"Belle, wait here. And… close your eyes." Gold said upon returning to the house. He seemed dazed, and refused to answer why is eyes looked slightly red and swollen. She stood in the main room, wondering why he was acting so out of character today, and waited for him to return.

She felt fingers brush her forearm only a minute later.

"What are you doing?"

"Telling you the truth." He said. It was high time she knew. "Now, this is very important. I have something to show you, but I don't know how you'll react. You can open your eyes now, love."

Belle did as she was told, taking in the single object he'd brought. In his hands he held a small, white, chipped teacup. She looked at it for a moment and opened her mouth to speak, but…

This time the flash was mildly painful, and she sank to the floor, unable to balance any longer.

"_You just don't think I can love you." Belle felt unshed tears suddenly sting her eyes. However, she swallowed them, refusing to cry. _

"_Now you've made your choice, and you're going to regret it. Forever. And all you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."_

_And with that she walked out of the room, never to return._

_She didn't cry until she reached the road._

When she came back she was on her knees in the living room. Mr. Gold was kneeling in front of her, nearly eye level, and the cup sat beside them.

"It's true." Belle looked up at him with new eyes. "It's all true, isn't it? Tell me it's true." What choice was there now? Gold knew that it was now or never. He reached up, cupping her jaw in his hands. She didn't fight his touch like she had Garin's earlier that day. It felt… right.

"On the day you left me," he said softly, his thumb stroking her cheek, "I told you I liked to watch the spinning wheel because it helped me forget, and I told you I had a son that I lost a long time ago. And I told you that since then I'd loved no one, and no one had loved me." His brown eyes were soft, looking at her with a kind of emotion it was impossible to fake.

Belle had never told anyone about that story. It wasn't in the book, either, nothing about the wheel or those words was in the tale of Beauty and the Beast. So many things were clearer now- if the curse really was true. It was like things began to fit together in her mind, two lives piecing themselves together to form something more whole than there ever had been. More real. In response to this, she leaned forward to kiss him, but before she could he stopped her.

"No, my dear. Not this time." He moved his hands, realizing what he had done. "You deserve better than an old magic man who didn't know what he was losing." Belle reached up, cupping his jaw with one hand.

"I don't want anything else." She whispered. "I want _you_. I _love_ you."

This time he didn't fight it when her mouth came crashing into his.


	5. Chapter 5

_Well... it's been a while. Yup. I'm really sorry. It's just that between person life, exams, and losing my flash drive, I just didn't have much time to write. So... here's the next chapter. I wanted to write something a little more lighthearted, so it's in at the end. Also, we explore some fairy tales that weren't mentioned in the series... just 'cause._

* * *

Belle's arms wrapped around his neck and his fingers tangled in her long hair, pulling her down to the floor on top of him. Her lips parted just slightly, enough that he could taste her breath in his own mouth.

Belle. His Belle.

But then she stopped, pulled away, looking at him with a concerned expression.

"You're crying." She wiped away a tear from his cheek with her thumb. He brought his own hand up to feel his face- wet.

"So I am." He hadn't even noticed.

"Happy crying?" It was just a guess.

"Most definitely." As a response Belle pulled him in for another kiss, and then up to sit beside her on the floor, leaning against the couch. He wrapped an arm around her back, his hand resting on her waist.

"I think we have some things to talk about." She said, settling into his chest.

"We do." However, neither of them wanted to speak next. As usual, Belle took the initiative. Perhaps being regarded as insane for so long made her impervious to whatever people might think if she spoke frankly.

"Why didn't you tell me when you first saw me?" Gold laughed.

"What would you have thought if I did? Besides, I wanted to keep you safe, and the best way to go about that doesn't involve looking like a raving lunatic myself."

"Fair point." Belle shrugged, thinking she probably would have run away. "So… tell me about the curse. _Can_ you tell me anything?" Gold's fingers tensed, just slightly, but Belle sensed it immediately.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked. He was still trying to protect her, but she was ready to hear everything that he would tell. Now that she knew the truth, she wanted to know everything more he would tell her.

"Yes." She nodded, looking up at him. Gold sighed.

"Alright. I'll tell you. The curse that brought us here is called the Dark Curse. The queen used it to exchange one world for the next, and to engineer all the punishments of the people in this world."

"Punishments?"

"Snow White and her prince aren't together. Red Riding hood doesn't have parents, and she lives with Granny in a flat above a diner. Gepetto and his son are separated… And you…" but he never finished that sentence.

"It's not your fault."

"It is!" he sat up a little straighter. "I _created_ that curse, Belle. It was me." She thought for a second, wondering what to say. Only one thought would form in her mind- only one coherent one, anyways.

"Why?"

"My son." He said, looking down. "My son came to this world because he was trying to free me from _my_ curse without stabbing me in the heart with that blasted knife, and I was too afraid, so I was left behind. I made the curse to bring us here." He took a breath, forcing himself to continue. "And now…"

Belle had never seen him like this. She supposed that as the dark one he hadn't been completely human- his emotions might have been suppressed, or he may have simply calloused over.

"You never cast it." She took his hand in both of hers. "It's not your fault- you didn't know what she would do. If a man kills someone with his knife, who is responsible- the murderer or the man who forged the blade?"

He couldn't say anything in response. Belle didn't blame him, though she should. He didn't deserve her love- he'd been so foolish with it at first. He simply leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I thought you were dead." He mumbled.

"What? Who told you-" then she stopped, realizing. "The Queen?"

"Yes. I thought… but never mind what I thought. Any other questions?" As curious as she was to what he thought, she wasn't going to press for answers now. He had been so good to her while her memory recovered; she at least owed him that.

"Why was my punishment to be locked in a cell and insane?" she asked. "Did it have anything to do with what she told you?"

"A bit." He admitted. "I think it was meant to keep you away from me, though. Regina may have tunnel vision when it comes to her goals, but she isn't stupid."

"She knew I'd remember?"

"No, I don't think so. But she knew if I got wind you were alive it would ruin her 'happy ending' complex." Belle stifled a laugh. Happy ending complex… it was a rather funny way to put a serious conversation topic. Gold continued. "That was the goal, you know. Give herself a happy ending and everyone else null- she altered the curse just a bit in order to implement giving everyone else null. The only reason I'm so well-off is because I struck a deal with her."

"To do what?" Belle asked. Why strike a deal with the person giving you what you wanted?

"To tell her what she was doing wrong in exchange for a better life in the new world. I was locked in a cell- I wanted out!"

Belle laughed openly at this, even though the thought of him locked in a cell wasn't one she wanted to settle on. It was just funny the way that he talked about it, like he was telling a story that long ago became less sensitive to talk about.

"And no one remembers from before the curse?" Gold shook his head.

"No one except Regina, myself… and now you."

"Why me?"

Well, he hadn't actually figured that one out yet. Regina wouldn't want Belle to remember, so why even work room into the curse for it to happen? She wanted her to be locked up somewhere, surely, and kept a secret, but there were other ways to go mad. He thought back to the creation of the curse, the point when he had woven the fabric of the spell together, and placed a single drop of the most powerful magic onto the parchment…

That was it.

"Did I ever tell you that true love is the most powerful magic of all?" Gold began, standing. Belle helped him to his feet and handed him his cane.

"Someone did, I think." she said.

"Good. True love isn't just powerful magic, it's emotion in a bottle, if you're able to bottle it, meaning that it's intuitive. It senses the reason for using the magic. When I created the Dark Curse, I put a one drop- just one- on the parchment the spell was written on."

"And it knew your intent?"

"I think it did. I wanted a world where I could find love again- find my son and my happiness. Sheriff Swan found my son. I sent him a letter, made amends. He's happy here, and I'm happy for him… I- I don't want the fact that I have a bit of a checkered past to come between us, Belle."

"Never." Belle said, shaking her head. "We all have pieces of our past we'd rather not relive. Your son sounds very brave... I wish I could meet him." Gold smiled sadly. Welcoming a family that wasn't her own into her life with open arms… What an extraordinary woman stood in front of him.

"I do, too. But I think the magic knew it would work out this way- I think it saw an opportunity to bring you back to me, and it took the loophole."

"I'm very glad it did."

"So am I."

* * *

When Mr. Gold awoke the next morning, Belle was still fast asleep in his arms with her head on his chest. The too-big nightgown was falling off her shoulder, leaving her pale skin exposed to the cool morning air. He could feel the rhythm of her breathing against him, the thump of her heartbeat. He didn't dare move, lest he disturb this perfect moment. Several minutes later Belle shifted, opening her eyes slowly.

"Good morning."

She didn't respond, only smiled and shifted a little closer still. Gold turned his head to kiss her forehead. Belle sighed softly.

"I should probably get up." she said with a groan. A few seconds later she sat up in bed, nightgown still falling off her shoulder. "Thanks for that." She said, smiling slightly.

"For… what?" Gold sat up, too, rubbing his eyes. It was probably about eight o' clock judging by the light.

"For sleeping with me without… sleeping with me. I don't think you could have paid Garin to do that." As far as Belle was concerned, that was the most trusting action he could have done- the act was protective and trusting, rather than lustful. They hadn't actually even planned on it happening, it just sort of… wound up that way.

"He didn't-"

"No. I wouldn't let him. But I knew people who…" Belle shuddered. "Never mind. It's best we not go there."

Belle and Mr. Gold spent the next several days trying to recover what was left of her memories from her former life, answering new questions, and answering old questions that had only just come to light. Most were simple questions, but some were more complicated. Not in the answers alone, but in the strength it took to voice them.

"What happened to you after… After you…" Gold couldn't finish the sentence.

"I went back home." She shrugged. "Gaston had mysteriously disappeared-" here she raised a suggestive eyebrow, to which Gold smiled faintly, "but he still tried to marry me off."

"And?"

"And… I ran away. End of story." She took a bite of breakfast to punctuate her sentence, hoping it wouldn't be necessary to say more. It wasn't, predictably.

"Do you not remember any more or do you simply not want to speak of it?" Belle sighed at this, frustrated.

"A little of both. I can remember more some days than others. It's coming back, though, and not as violently now."

"Less painful?"

"And less frequent. And I don't black out any longer… it's just like I'm remembering something tucked away somewhere for safekeeping." They ate in silence for a few more minutes, until Belle finally voiced the thought that was on her mind.

"Archie says if my visions stop I should be able to be released."

Gold nearly spit out his coffee.

"Really?" his face was unreadable.

"He says that besides the flashes I seem perfectly normal, and that I'm adjusting well to being outside."

"Adjusting well my foot! You're not 'adjusting well,' you're healthier than ever!" It was true. Her complexion was no longer a sallow contrast to her dark hair, as dark from little sunlight as her skin was white. The scars on her arms and the less severe cuts on her legs had faded into pink tissue, and her once-infected injury was now a raw, but healed, pinkish mark on her thigh. She was talking more readily and her smiles were often and infectious, and Gold was positive that Archie couldn't have been the only one who noticed, as she walked around town more and more often. Her appetite seemed to be normalizing as well; when she first came she'd hardly been able to stomach anything. Belle smiled, but it vanished quickly.

"It may not be wise to get our hopes up."

"Why's that, love?"

"Well, my father's gone. He had legal custody and power of attorney, and he turned them both over to the hospital when he left- they told me as much. According to Archie and Dr. James, that might be enough to keep me in the hospital."

"When did you talk to Dr. James?" Asked Gold, a little wary. Dr. James and Belle were attempting to keep in touch, but both of them realized that Belle didn't want her around even though she needed to give reports.

"I didn't." Belle blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck, "I overheard them talking." Mr. Gold smiled, biting back a full out laugh. He took a second or two to weigh his response before speaking.

"You're over 21, so custody isn't valid any longer, and regardless of who has legal power, you should be able to transfer it. You're obviously completely sane, and everyone knows it, so the courts will likely be on your side." He reached over to her and took her hands. "And I promise you, Belle, if you need a home, you'll always have one here." She let go of his hands and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Thank you."

They stayed like that for who knows how long, until Mr. Gold relaxed his grip and drew back to look in her eyes.

"We _will_ fight this, Belle. I'll see to that."

* * *

"Are you sure you should be outside today?" Belle asked, walking arm in arm with Mr. Gold down the streets of Storybrooke.

"If you're going to be living in this town like the rest of us and not in a decrepit hospital wing, you need to get out more." He leaned heavily on his cane as they rounded the corner. Belle knew he must be in pain today, but he insisted they go out for some reason.

"But-"

"Belle, you need to start interacting with people." He stopped walking for emphasis, looking her straight in the eye. "I know what happened to you in that hospital." Her face fell immediately. He'd been studying the reports Dr. James had saved from the fire about the psych ward- the conditions were less than sanitary, the treatment of the patients was horrific, and Belle wasn't wrong about random (and sometimes brutal) questionings. It would seem that several patients had been subjected to that treatment. Belle was beginning to recover, both physically and mentally, but only patience and love was helping her to do so.

"Trust me, you need to get out. Make some friends. It's healthy, trust me." He gestured to a group of women standing in front of Granny's, jabbering excitedly. "Go talk to them."

She hesitated. The only one in the group that she knew was Ruby, the bold, flirtatious waitress at Granny's. She seemed truly nice and good hearted from their conversations, but…

"Go on. You need to get some time away from a stuffy old man like me." Belle shot him a look and he smiled, giving her shoulder a squeeze. It was enough encouragement for her, so she walked on over to where the group of women was busily chatting.

"Hi, Belle!" Ruby waved, hurrying over. She hooked her arm through Belle's an sauntered on down the sidewalk.

"So, a couple of the girls are going out tonight. You should come- it would be a nice break from Mr. Gold…"

"I don't know." Belle said, pursing her lips. "I just… I don't really know anyone. I mean, it's pretty much just you, and I really don't think you want the loopy mental patient hanging around."

"You're not loopy, Belle. You know I don't think you are." Ruby said, stopping suddenly. It was true. Ruby was pretty accepting of Belle's flashbacks, having some unexplainable events in her own life, and whenever she wasn't having them the scarlet-loving girl insisted that she never would have pinned her new friend as a mental patient. "The only time I get to talk to you is when you come around Granny's, and you need to get out more than that! Please?" Ruby pulled an extremely unconvincing (but also extremely funny) pout, and Belle laughed, throwing up her hands.

"Alright! Fine. I cave."

"Great! I'll pick you up at seven- I already cleared it with Gold." Ruby grinned as Belle's jaw dropped. He was going be away on business this weekend- strange enough, he seemed to be one of the few people who could leave Storybrooke without major consequences. However, he also only went away for short times, and always with the intention of returning as soon as possible, so perhaps that had something to do with it.

"You're scheming because you think I need a life?" she asked, just to clarify.

"Pretty much." Ruby shrugged, waving a goodbye and walking back over to the group.

Belle walked away in a slight state of shock. Whether over the fact that they thought she needed a life or that they cared enough to try to help her out, she wasn't sure. Either way… this wasn't something that she wanted to leave.

* * *

"Mr. Gold, so nice to see you." Regina said.

"Likewise." He said, but his tone was contradictory. "What do you want now, Regina?"

"I'd just like to remind you that Rosie-"

"Belle."

"Whatever. It's been a month, Gold- he's only here for another two weeks. Then she goes back to the hospital, back to the psych ward, and away from you." Regina walked away, a small smirk crossing her face.

However, she wasn't quite aware that Gold didn't plan to let that happen. Not ever. Belle didn't have anyone in the town who would fight for her before, and now she did, and her allies were anything but weak.

* * *

"Ok, come on. This is it." Ruby pulled into the driveway of a compact little two story house, where several other cars were parked.

"I thought you said we were going out." Belle said, following her up to the house. Ruby had come in at around seven, gone up to Belle's room and began pulling things out of drawers and throwing them in a bag. Eventually Belle had managed to squeeze out that they were spending the night at Ruby's. Of course, Belle had done little more than give an exasperated sigh, however little she liked being thrown into things.

"Well… that may have been a lie." Ruby shrugged, knocking on the door. It opened in a moment, and a pretty blonde girl opened the door.

"Bre!" Ruby hugged her and beckoned Belle forward. "This is Belle." Bre was apparently a hugging type, because she smiled and wrapped her arms around Belle briefly.

"Nice to meet you! Come on downstairs." She turned and walked hurriedly through the door. Ruby, shouldering both their bags, followed, while Belle asked questions.

"_What_ are we doing?"

"We're pulling an all-nighter in Breanna's basement." Ruby smiled. "It's just some of the girls, and we thought it would be less stressful for you this way."

_Less_ stressful? Sweet thought, she supposed, but it would have been nice to know about this beforehand. When they reached the bottom of the steps, they saw a crowd of four or five girls standing in a finished basement, and a crowd of foam mats in a flower shape on the floor. There was Breanna, who she'd seen, two other blonde girls, one with thigh-length hair, a redhead, and one with short black hair- Mary Margaret. She'd seen her around with Emma Swan. Rose gestured to each girl as she noted their names.

"Belle, this is Sage, Ashley, Ariel, and I guess you know Mary Margaret." All of them looked to be in their late and mid-twenties, around Belle's age. Belle's thoughts whirled, and she fought to keep herself in the room as a few memories trickled through.

She remembered Sage a little. Her name hadn't been Sage, though… Rapunzel? And obviously Judging by her appearance, Bre was supposed to be Sleeping Beauty, though she only knew her from Henry's stories. Ariel was… wasn't _The Little Mermaid_ written by Hans Christian Anderson? Most of the stories in Henry's book were so old that it was hard to trace their origins. Well, she supposed all stories had to spring from somewhere. Ashley was probably Cinderella.

"Hi." Belle waved timidly. Just then she heard a knob jiggle and Emma walked out from the bathroom.

"Hey." She said, sensing she'd walked in on an awkward moment. "Nice to see you again." Belle simply nodded and flashed a timid smile. It was Ruby who finally broke the silence.

"So where's the little one?" she asked Ashley.

"With his Nana." She smiled. "She wanted some time with her granddaughter, so I thought tonight would be a good night to have some company since Sean is out with the boys."

"So this is your house?" Belle asked. Ashley nodded.

"Turns out that my father had left it to me in his will. Stroke of luck, huh? And… sorry for ambushing you like this." She looked apologetic. "We just thought… well… we honestly just wanted you to have a good time."

"And if it makes you feel any better," Emma jumped in, "I was ambushed, too."

Belle laughed, relieved. The tension in the room seemed to break and quiet chatter broke out. The chatter faded into an old black and white movie with popcorn, and eventually into seven blankets and pillows on mats, strewn all over the floor.

"You know, I don't think I've actually done this since I was twelve." Emma said, flopping back on her mat. Mary Margaret laughed, smacking her with her pillow.

"Live a little. Besides, the only thing better than a girl's night out is a girl's night in."

"Movie night with no boys." Ariel laughed.

"No dressing up." Bre put in.

"And no babies, as much as I love her." Ashley said softly.

The girls were all friendly enough, though Belle was positive she seemed a little spaced out sometimes. It was only because of her flashes, but she couldn't tell them that. Sage did her standard complaining about her name and Ariel talked about astrology (the fire-haired girl struck Belle as quite the hippy), while Mary Margaret and Ashley talked about Ashley's daughter and their own lives. Bre, quite ironically, managed to spear her finger with a needle while attempting to embroider something on a pillow, nearly sending Belle into a fit of giggles. She bit her tongue, though, and no one seemed to notice.

"You know," Sage said, attempting to brush her long locks into submission, "sorry if this sounds insensitive, but you don't seem like the mental patient type to me. Ouch!" her brush hit a snag and she rubbed her head. Ariel was quick to agree.

"Yeah. I'm getting a really good vibe from you, actually. Better than most people should be in your state, especially after the rumors I've heard about that place."

"Ariel…" Rose warned, causing her to bite her lip and look down.

"What have you heard?" Belle asked. No one would say. Emma finally looked up.

"If nobody's going to say it, I will. The Sheriff's office is conducting an investigation about abused patients. There haven't been the best things said about the care in that ward."

Belle nodded solemnly. Should she…? Well, it wasn't as if it mattered. She was wearing a pair of thin sweatpants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt to hide the scars, but… wouldn't it be better…?

"I'll make you a deal." She said, looking between Emma and Ariel. "I'll tell you the truth, but as I tell my story, you tell me yours." The group shrugged. It was fine with them- sharing stories was just something people _did_, she supposed.

"When I was little, I started seeing things that weren't there- like visions or flashes, or something like that. They sent me to the psych ward when I was nineteen, the day I blacked out and fell over in the middle of the street." The group was silent, listening. None of them seemed to judge. "Your turn." Belle said. She would continue as the other spoke. Sage was the first to take up the token.

"I'm an orphan." She said. "My parents died when I was really young. I don't know why, though. Momma Gothel- that's my adoptive mother- she's really protective of me. She's kind of a religious freak, actually. It's like she equates dating with going out and becoming a prostitute or something. I mean, look at me- I'm twenty-six and I barely leave the house!" She giggled slightly, but sobered quickly. "I wouldn't be surprised if she just snaps one day and locks me in my room for good." _Nor would I_… Belle remembered the day she'd seen her in the market, with her hair chopped off crudely and wandering around, frantically looking for her rescuer. She'd given her what directions she could and some money for food, and then the girl had left.

"I used to live with my aunts." Bre offered. "I was engaged before I even knew my parents were still alive… I'm still trying to pry the rest of the story out of them." She shrugged. It must have only happened recently. Henry must have been right- Emma was causing these fairy tales to come to fruition!

"I would offer but… you guys all know my story." Emma shrugged, giving a small smile. It was true- practically the whole town knew about Emma's background. Belle took this as a signal to continue.

"Well, my father left me a few years ago. He turned power of attorney over to the hospital, and… I don't think you want to know what happened in there."

"What? It's ok, you know. You can tell us. I might be the Sheriff, but I'm also your friend." Emma said. Mary Margaret nodded, looking concerned. Belle wasn't sure how much she trusted them. Ruby was the only one who knew any of the story, and she didn't know much. It might be beneficial to the case against the hospital if Emma knew, though.

In response, Belle slowly pulled upwards the hem of her long, thin pants. One by one, the three scars on her leg showed, first the two smaller ones, and then the larger one slashed across her thigh. She did the same with her shirt sleeves.

"What- who-" Emma began, but Belle stopped her.

"Let me finish. I don't know who, but it happened there. And yes I'll testify, but this is part of my story. After that one of them became infected, I started getting sick, and then the fire."

"But… they look almost healed." Mary Margaret said. "If the care wasn't-"

"They didn't heal in the hospital, Mr. Gold did it." Six sets of eyebrows shot into the air. "What? Is that surprising?"

"I just… didn't peg Mr. Gold for the caring type." Emma said, slightly flustered. "He seems more like the scheming type to me."

"That too." Belle conceded. "But he's been very kind."

"Mmmhmm." Ariel said. She leaned back against the couch she was sitting on, grinning like a cat.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing…" Ariel smirked, but it wasn't malicious, it was… knowing. "I've just seen you around…" Ruby immediately picked up on what she was getting at.

"No way!" For a second her red-lipped friend looked about fifteen. "You don't-"

"Oh, good lord, leave her alone!" Emma said. She was lying on her stomach on her mat by now, and took this moment to jam her pillow over her head. She wasn't exactly in the spirit of things tonight, it seemed.

"Emma's not much of a ladies' night person." Mary Margaret said with a shrug.

Emma mumbled something unintelligible from under the pillow.

"What?" Her dark-haired friend lifted up the covering.

"I said, 'I'd rather have a ladies' night asleep.'"

_We're working on her_, Ariel mouthed. "Seriously, though. Do you two have like… a thing?"

"A _thing_?" One thing that had come from regaining her memories was that it was harder to keep the memories of this world and the other one from converging, including the slang.

"You know… like… a romance thing." Sage said, finally giving up on her hair.

"Oh, no, honey. Hand me that brush." Bre moved to sit behind her and started working with it herself.

"Isn't he like 20 years older than you?" Emma mumbled, half asleep.

"So? What does it matter?" Ariel asked. Emma shrugged and went back to her drowsy state.

"Just an observation." Came the mumbled reply. Belle felt a blush rising in her cheeks.

"Trust me, dear," Ariel hopped down from the couch nimbly, putting an arm around Belle's shoulders. "If you love him, go after him. Stay with him. Don't lose him." The look in her eye was sad- almost wistful. The other women seemed to know what she was talking about.

"Ariel knows about love stories, Belle." Ruby said, giving the girl's shoulder a squeeze.

"What happened?"

"I lost him." She said, quite plainly. Her voice was choked over with emotion. She seemed to shake herself and become composed again, though, looking around the room. "I can live, though. Just you all make sure that you get your happy endings, and that's enough for me."

There wasn't much more to make of that subject, so the group wound up popping in another ancient movie and having generous amounts of the universal cure-all: hot chocolate.


	6. Chapter 6

_Ok, readers, this is it! This is the final part of this story. Thank you so much for your support. It's been a great ride._

_____Also, I'm in the process of moving to AO3 (archiveofourown**.**org/users/TardisInWonderland/pseuds/TardisInWonderland). **I will keep updating my in-progress fics here**. I won't delete this account, but I may not post much on it. In progress and newer fics are slowly being relocated._

* * *

The next morning, Emma woke first, everything that they'd discussed twirling around in her brain. It all made perfect sense, and it didn't make sense at all. And then something dawned on her… a disturbance from a month or two ago… involving Mr. Gold and Moe French.

"_You had her love and you pushed her away! And it's your fault- not mine!"_

Why had he volunteered so quickly to take her in?

And if Belle really did have feelings for him…

_Oh my god._

Emma rolled over and shook Belle's shoulder, rousing her. When her eyes opened Emma beckoned her upstairs. They sat down at Ashley's kitchen table, and Emma immediately went into officer mode.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked. Belle was confused- surely she'd answered just about everything last night.

"Of course. Is this… part of the investigation?"

"It might be." Emma had talked to Dr. Hopper- she knew his thoughts about Belle's sanity, and was now beginning to agree with them. This wasn't the face of someone clinically insane, though she knew it could only happen from time to time, in the last month she'd never once seen anything.

"Did you know Mr. Gold before you were put in the hospital?" Belle had to think. It was hard to keep her life before the hospital straight in her head, knowing that it was all fabricated.

"I… no." she shook her head slowly. "No, I didn't." she hadn't recognized him the first time she saw his human self in this world, that much was sure.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I must have seen him around, but… I was in there a long time, Emma. Why?" Emma bit her lip and moved on. There wasn't a point in pressing without more information.

"Why didn't your father take you when he left town?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "He was never much of a fatherly affection type. He was always in debt, so when I started becoming trouble… I let him send me to the psych ward."

"You _let_ him?" Emma's eyes widened. Belle's mingled memories were becoming clearer. The stories matched. Or, they were trying to, which at least made it a little easier to remember how her story might have gone here.

"I didn't want to be a burden. It was that or get married," Belle chuckled, "and I was only 16 when it first started. I went to college for a while- I was working my way through, but then they couldn't keep me there either. So… hospitalization seemed like the only route."

"Who was your father in debt to?"

"I don't know." She said. In all honesty, it was probably Mr. Gold, but Belle didn't like where this was going. "Probably a lot of people. I've always thought that's why he skipped town."

"Ok." Emma nodded. "Ok. Belle, I need you to answer something for me, and answer it honestly, because this could be your way out or your downfall, and whatever your answer is you have to be completely confident." Belle looked at her expectantly. _I can't believe I'm actually asking her this_, Emma thought, looking Belle in the eyes.

"Do you love him?"

"What?" Belle's voice was soft, her blue eyes clear.

"Gold. Do you love him? I know it sounds strange but-"

"Yes." Belle said, looking straight into Emma's eyes. "More than anything."

Storybrooke's sheriff had always hinted at having the power to tell if anyone was lying. Well, honestly, sometimes she wasn't sure… but this wasn't one of those times. Belle was honest, open, and completely sincere.

"I need you to know right now," Emma said, "that your relationship with him is going to make or break your case. He's perfectly stable one his own, but… well, he's probably got twenty years on you. That doesn't look good, even though it's legal. You understand that, right?"

Rather than go into relative ages in the world in Henry's fairy tale book and how magic actually could make the age gap far more than twenty years, Belle nodded.

"Good. Because frankly, the case against the hospital… it's bad. It's enough to get reforms going on a lot of the wards, but you're the only psych patient that has enough of a case to actually get out. We need a plan of attack, though, because they won't discharge you if you have nowhere to go. It could be a deal breaker, so… we might have a secret weapon."

Belle shook her head, as if trying to shake herself from a dream.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you want to help me?"

Emma thought back to the way she'd looked last night when they talked about Gold. She thought back to the day she'd been called over to Dr. Hopper's office. She thought about the way they looked walking down the street. In all her time here, Mr. Gold had seemed not so much an unhappy man as a truly tormented soul. They seemed to be each other's cure.

"Somebody deserves a happy ending around here."

* * *

Regina Mills was not in a good mood.

The stupid imp was away for the time being (she wasn't exactly sure _how_ he was away just yet, as he wasn't supposed to be able to leave, but he _did_ draft the curse), but Belle was still here. Nobody had been able to say for sure what started the fire, and contrary to Rumple's notions, Regina hadn't done it to kill off Belle. Should have. Could have. Would have…

Didn't.

And now she could see them- see the love in their eyes. It made her sick and it made her ache all at one for the thing that she had lost so long ago. Not only that, but it burned inside to know that the last bit of collateral she might have had on the Dark One was now gone.

For now, at least. If she had anything to do with it, the girl would be back in the hospital before long. _Oh, and there she comes now…_ thought the Mayor.

"Miss French," Regina said with a smile. Belle had been innocently walking down the street, having a chat with Ariel, when the mayor had come by and started a conversation. Her smile was tense, though, and it didn't reach her eyes. "How are you doing today?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?"

"Well enough. Now, you are aware that next week the hospital remodeling will be completed, and you'll need to return? I fear the atmosphere around here hasn't helped-"

"I'm perfectly well aware, thank you." Belle's eyes flashed. She remembered their encounter on the road leading away from the Dark Castle, and something inside her seemed to boil. This woman had ruined her life- well, not so much before leaving Rumpelstiltskin as after. Running and hiding, trying to keep away from her, and all for what? To be trapped here.

However, now Belle had the advantage: memory. Memory and revelations. She knew the past, but Regina didn't know she knew.

"Miss French, I fear you might be getting a bit attached..."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean." Belle said, putting on a face that she hoped was convincingly confused. Regina's eyes darkened in anger.

"I know you do. You can't be discharged until your symptoms are gone, you know that as well as I do. It would be best, I think, if you were to quietly move back into your place." Her mouth was taut. Belle was done with her- in any world. It wasn't time to use her trump just yet, she thought, but it was time to make a threat.

"I'm not sure you fully understand how the situation has escalated, Madame Mayor." Belle said. "Perhaps you'll find that you've missed something critical."

And with that, she walked away before anything else could be said.

* * *

Mr. Gold stepped out of his car two days later, weary from traveling and fighting the invisible force of the curse trying to pull him back to Storybrooke. "Going away on business" had only been a slight lie. In truth, he's been looking for evidence of Belle's father. Even in the other world he hadn't been a _good_ man, and if Belle was planning to come out of hospitalization it was best the bastard was as far away as possible.

Very soon he was greeted by a lovely brunette who practically threw herself into his arms, and he laughed against his will.

"Glad to see you, too, love." Not having her near was almost akin to not being able to breathe properly. She mumbled something into his neck, his brown hair resting against her cheek. He could barely make out her words.

"One week."

The words hit him like a punch in the stomach.

"Come inside." He said, taking her hand. They wound up standing in the hallway, unable to walk any farther before the anxiety boiled over.

"When I said I was going on business…"

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid I lied." Gold said, his brow furrowing. Belle looked at him calmly, not judging until he told what the truth was. "I went looking for your father." Panic immediately displayed on her face, and her eyes went wide.

"You what-"

"Shh! It's alright. It only confirmed what we thought. He's disappeared- it's like he fell off the edge of the earth."

Belle looked at him a moment, lips pursed, her expression unreadable.

"This could be a good thing or a bad thing." She said.

"Agreed. I think we both fully understand the circumstances." It could mean that she was free, with no family to dictate her fate, or it could mean she was more trapped than ever, with no family to dictate her fate. It also meant that Regina would probably use it to detain her further. However, she did have three things: She had Doctor Hopper, who was ready to testify that she was sane, on her side. She had Emma, who was running an investigation on the corrupt hospital policies, on her side. And she had Mr. Gold, who was the only person in town more powerful than Regina Mills, _completely_ and _totally_ on her side.

"We need to talk to Archie." Belle finally said. Gold nodded in agreement.

"And Emma. As much as she annoys me from time to time, I believe she likes you. Plus, you're an asset to her case against the hospital and she can set us up with a court date if need be." Gold nodded and started walking back towards the door.

"Wait." Belle said, biting her lip. "This is probably a bad time, but I have to ask…"

"What?" he looked confused.

"In this world... what on earth is your first name?" she blurted out. "I can't call you Mr. Gold forever, can I?" he laughed, a rare (but becoming less so in Belle's presence) smile on his face.

"I suppose not. The truth is that I don't have one here. I guess Regina never expected anyone to ask. But I suppose I could pick one…" he thought for a moment.

"Don't you dare say Rumpelstiltskin." Belle teased.

"Actually, I was going to say Robert. Simple, same first letter." He mused. "What do you think?" Not bad. It seemed to fit- wasn't out of the ordinary.

"I like it." She said, slipping her hand into his. "Alright. Now we can go."

* * *

Emma wound up calling Archie over to the Sheriff's office so they could all talk in private. The four of them sat around the table in a soundproof room, usually used for questioning witnesses, but now they simply didn't want to be overheard.

"I've got your files here, Belle." Archie said. "And in my opinion, you're more than ready to be released, but..."

"We know Regina's going to fight for her to be kept in." Gold said. "It's not a secret, Dr. Hopper. You _can_ tell us if she's said something." Archie swallowed hard before speaking.

"How did you know?" He looked at the other three at the table. Emma looked as confused as Dr. Hopper, but Mr. Gold's arm simply slipped around Belle's waist as an answer. She leaned into his touch unconsciously.

"Seriously?" Emma asked. "I did read that right, didn't I? Is she seriously trying to keep you guys apart?"

"For an intelligent woman you can be a bit slow, Miss Swan." Gold said.

"Robert!" Belle shot him a look, and then shook her head softly. "Sorry, Emma. Anyways, we're well aware that _that_ excuse isn't going to hold up in court, if it comes to that-"

"It will, if Regina has anything to do with it." Emma said. "But between the four of us it shouldn't be a problem, assuming the case against the hospital holds out. We're finding out the standings today. I've got your testimony recorded as evidence, so that only helps your case."

"And you haven't had any more episodes, have you?" Archie asked.

"No. Not for a week or so."

"Good. Very good. You've never seemed to be insane to me outside having those; I never understood why you were put in the hospital."

"Regina." All three chorused.

"In hindsight, she probably paid off my father." Belle said with a shrug. "He was in a lot of debt."

"You don't seem as upset as I'd think you'd be." Archie said, retreating into psychiatrist mode.

"It's been a long time. And honestly… I really don't think I'd have a home with him anymore."

"Which brings us to one more thing." The sheriff pulled out some papers. "One of the specifications for release from psych ward care is a stable home environment." She looked back and forth between Belle and her lover, waiting on them to respond.

"We've already discussed it." He said. "Belle is welcome to live with me." Emma weighed the situation for a moment. This could go two ways… best knock it out here rather than in the courtroom.

"I've got to warn you… this age difference thing. The court isn't going to look kindly on that. Marriage is legal, but it just… it won't look good. Especially if you two have been… sleeping together." Emma decided on just blurting it out. The judge was probably going to.

The pair exchanged glances.

Not to say they hadn't thought about it. They both had. More than once. But out of respect for Belle and her situation (and anticipating it might lead to this) they'd held off on that bit of their relationship... for now.

"We haven't." Belle said. "It's a long story, put very frankly."

"We anticipated something like this." Gold said with a shrug.

"Alright." Emma seemed surprised. It was a smarter move than she would have immediately expected. "In that case, I guess you guys have been thinking about getting Belle out for a while."

Neither Gold nor Belle made a move. It was Archie who spoke first.

"I first came to the conclusion about a week after she'd been out of the hospital, and it's obviously been healthy for her to…" he trailed off. It was a slightly awkward conversation to have with both participants of the "relationship" he was about to refer to. They seemed to get the picture, though.

"So if we know I'm a good candidate for release, what's the next step?" Belle asked.

"Well, theoretically… it would be to clear it with family, but since your family isn't around we'll have to clear it with the next closest thing. According to the town charter, that's the mayor, and we all know she's going to say no."

"So, in short, Miss Swan," Mr. Gold said as he stood from his chair, "I take it you'll call to inform us of our court date?"

* * *

Emma's call came roughly a week later. The case wouldn't be open to public viewing, and the judge would be Mark Middle, who was the parallel of King Midas in this world. Funny, you would think the man would be a banker or something, but apparently Regina didn't care where he went, so the curse put him as the judge.

Not that there were usually disputes of this sort in Storybrooke.

"Court is now in session." The judge called, echoing in the near-empty room. "Now, we're here to discuss the release of Miss French from the hospital's care. Mayor Mills does not believe it's the best choice, however, I believe there is a definite dissent. I am allowed to be slightly more… lenient on court procedures in a case such as this, so we, as a group, are simply going to sit and talk. Alright?" He looked around at the five people at the table. They weren't even actually in a courtroom- they were in a back office in the courthouse, and that was what they were doing: talking. The procedures were clear in a case like this- apparently the town charter had been amended, and it was actually the judge who had the final outcome if there was a dispute.

Isabella French, Emma Swan, Archie Hopper, Sydney Glass, and Regina Mills all nodded.

Mr. (newly dubbed "Robert") Gold and Dr. Lillian James weren't allowed to come in until they needed him- he was waiting in the lobby. Belle could be sent out at any time, and she knew this. Regina was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry, but I can't in good conscience release Miss French from hospital care." She said firmly.

"Why not? Do you have any reason to keep her there?" Emma asked.

"Yes. She's mentally unstable." Regina seemed calm and collected, but fire burned behind her eyes. Belle knew that the judge would be watching for a rise out of her, and she was determined to stay calm.

"Not according to Archie's notes." The sheriff continued. "Have you read her file? Belle hasn't had any problems in three weeks, and before then Archie noted that if she hadn't openly admitted she was having these issues, he never would have guessed."

"Is this true, Dr. Hopper?" Judge Middle asked, intensely curious.

"Yes." He fished the file out of his briefcase to give the judge. Belle remained wisely silent. "And ever since the fire she's been getting healthier, mentally _and_ physically by my judgment." The judge took a few minutes to look over the files, which the other five spent in an uncomfortable silence.

"Now, Miss French, I understand you testified against the hospital in the case that concluded last week?"

"Yes, I did." She was simply happy that she finally had a chance to speak.

"And your testimony consisted of several beatings and…" the judge trailed off as his eyes fell on Belle's arms. She had purposefully worn a sleeveless dress today, with a slightly shorter shirt, in order to make them visible. "I see. And they were not self-inflicted, I presume."

"I did not give myself those scars." She said firmly, her eyes blazing. "My testimony stands, and I understand several others testified to the same treatment."

"They did." The judge nodded and continued to leaf through the file.

"They were insane!" Sydney Glass cut in. "They were locked away in padded cells, for Pete's sake!"

"So was I." Belle's tone made Sydney want to shrink back in his chair, giving him the impression that what he had just done was the very wrong thing to say.

The other four around the table sat in a tense wash of silence as Belle practically choked Sydney with her glare, until Emma finally spoke, clearing her throat.

"Belle's episodes have stopped. She hasn't made any trouble around town. I don't see any reason not to release her, and I think Dr. Hopper would agree with me."

"Completely." Archie said, calm but firm.

"She doesn't have anywhere to go." Regina said matter-of-factly. "What's she going to do? Rent a room at Granny's forever?" The mayor looked rather like a black cat who was closing in on her prey. Emma fought back a smirk as she gestured to the guard at the doors.

Belle wished she could have swiped Sydney's camera. The face Regina made as Mr. Gold and Dr. James walked in would have gone down in history.

"Whose turn is it now?" asked Dr. James, unable to hide her enjoyment at speaking against Regina. The doctor had also been a key witness for the case against the hospital, quite ironically.

"Gold's. We'll get you in a minute." Emma said.

"Ah, in that case, I suppose it's my turn to mention that I'm perfectly willing to have Belle stay with me." He placed a hand on her shoulder affectionately. Belle smiled softly up at him, and Judge Middle's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, I see…"

This brought on a very awkward conversation about the fact that Mr. Gold was twenty years Belle's senior, and was he using her for sex, and was she certain this was what she wanted? During all this Belle and Mr. Gold attempted to stay as composed as possible, but the reactions of Sydney and Archie were almost too much to bear without laughing.

"Ok, Regina, what's next? She has a stable home environment, and Dr. James is ready to testify about the lack of proper hospital care she was receiving. We already know she's ten times healthier than before." Emma looked pretty bemused by the seething look on Regina's face. Sydney didn't dare speak.

"I don't see any reason she shouldn't be released. Ms. Mills has presented no accurate evidence to support her claims." Judge Middle banged his gavel on the table rather unceremoniously. "Isabella French is hereby released from the hospital, under care of Archie Hopper and… um…" he looked at Mr. Gold. "I don't know your first name." he whispered.

"Robert." The judge looked surprised.

"Robert Gold. Yes. Court is adjourned."

Well, if you could call it court.

* * *

In the lobby of the courthouse, Belle stopped to shake hands with Regina, attempting to be the bigger person. Regina pumped her hand once and let it drop.

"You best stay on your toes, Miss French." Regina said. "Because I promise you- you have no idea what you're dealing with."

"Oh, I think I do." Alright. Now it was probably time to pull the trump card. Belle looked around, seeing only Mr. Gold waiting in the door- good. It was safe.

"No, honey. You really don't." Regina looked positively filled with pure bloodlust. "Because if you slip up, if you fall back, if you even have a single hint of a relapse I will have you back inside those hospital doors faster than you can say-"

"Say what?" Belle cut her off said, finally snapping. She was far too tired of Regina, and no matter how patient she was… she couldn't be that way forever. "How about _Rumpelstiltskin_?"

Regina's eyes grew wider by miniscule proportions.

"I don't know what I ever did to you," Belle said, looking into Regina's face with a fire in her eye, "but I understand that you're angry and you're hurt, and you don't care who else gets hurt in the crossfire. I don't know why. But however hurt you are, I will not let you destroy my happiness again, Regina."

"_Again_?" Regina's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't. It was impossible.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear me correctly, Madame Mayor? Or do you prefer _your_ _Majesty_?" Belle's words were laced with ice. Regina felt weak in the knees and dizzy. Had he told her? But why would she ever believe him? Belle must have seen her confidence diminish, because she continued.

"Oh, weren't you aware of my problem? They thought I was delusional." She gave a cold, half-hearted chuckle. "Turns out they were wrong." The newly freed brunette turned and walked away, tossing back over her shoulder, "I told you I knew what I was dealing with!"

* * *

"So, free at last, hm?" Gold asked. "Whatever are you going to do now?"

Belle only smiled, placing a light kiss on his lips.

"Everything."


End file.
